Following the 2019 general election, Westminster politics has become decidedly more representative, with the current UK government boasting the most ethnically diverse cabinet in British history. However, north of the border diversity remains elusive with only two out of 129 MSPs coming from BAME backgrounds. With next year's Holyrood elections fast approaching, we have a chance to shake things up and change the face of the Scottish parliament.
October’s Black History Month has seen an increased awareness of the problems surrounding BAME representation. Cabinet Secretary for Justice Humza Yousaf has been particularly vocal on the issue. He claims that the lack of minority representation is a 'collective failure of the devolution era' and that 'the Scottish Parliament and all of the political parties involved have failed ethnic minority communities'. Ironically, Yousaf's party bears much of the responsibility for the absence of minority representatives. The SNP and Labour have held a duopoly over Scottish politics since the birth of the parliament in 1999. And yet between them, they have only managed to produce four BAME MSPs in that time. Even now the Scottish government's efforts to make politics more accessible have been lukewarm at best. Nearly half a million pounds of taxpayer money was given to the John Smith Centre to help remove structural barriers facing minorities. Yet, the organisation has an all-white board of directors.
Now that successive administrations have failed, maybe it's time to change tack and give the Conservatives a chance. Next year's Scottish parliamentary elections will allow the party to show Scotland just how much they value BAME input. They have already shown themselves to be the party of diversity on a local level. Glasgow's first black Councillor Adebayo Aibinu describes himself as always being conservative in his 'general outlook'. The party are also fielding two Asian candidates in the Perth council by-elections next month. Andy Chan and Aziz Rehman are both local businessmen who see the party as their natural home. According to Mr Rehman, the UK government support has been a vital lifeline for local businesses during the COVID pandemic. In North Lanarkshire, the Conservatives recently announced that Oyebola Alaja would contest local elections. Oyebola said she is 'excited to stand on the platform of the Conservative Party'. She sees it as 'a great opportunity to represent and encourage other BAME women as well as a privilege to serve and give constituents a voice.'
Overall, the SNP's token effort to make Scottish politics more accessible has clearly failed. As always, the obsession with independence trumps all other concerns. Come May next year the Conservatives have an opportunity to demonstrate an alternative way forward that values prosperity and opportunity for all. In recognition of the ethnic disparity in Scottish politics the party has established Scottish Conservative Friends of BAME (SCBAME). The organisation works to support and mentor minority candidates across Scotland, including each of the candidates mentioned above. In this way, it is similar to the Scottish Conservative Women's Organisation and Women2Win Scotland, both of which seek to promote and support women within the Conservative Party.