Our first blog come courtesy of one of our Scottish Conservatives – Friends of BAME Board Members, Adebayo Aibinu. Ade is a pharmacologist and holds a PhD in Molecular Neuropharmacology, with a particular focus on the development of new therapies for the treatment of diabetic neuropathic pain.
In 2017, Ade was elected as the local Conservative councillor for Victoria Park Ward in Glasgow. Since his election, he has sat on the Health and Social Care Partnership Integration Joint Board, Operational Performance and Delivery Scrutiny Committee, and currently leads budget discussions for the group as the financial services spokesperson. In the 2019 UK General Election, he was the Scottish Conservative parliamentary candidate for Glasgow North West.
I have always wondered why it looks, sounds and feels strange to be black and conservative. I remember campaigning in East Renfrewshire during the 2019 general election, and I overheard someone in the community say “I have never seen a black conservative” before. This goes to the root of the issue, “stereotype”. A stereotypic view of an idea is difficult to overcome and I must confess, it was a leap of faith for me to reach out to the party despite knowing that I am pro-conservative values.
I defeated the imposing giant called “stereotype” in my head and reached out to the party because in the presence of objectivity and reasoning, stereotype was shattered. The Conservative party is about long-term aspiration and helping to secure lasting success. Think of productive societies and the vital ingredients which keep them productive: sound education, productive economy and all forms of personal responsibility. All values espoused by the Conservative party. So, to me, the party was a natural fit and I wasn’t going to fit another person’s narrative.
I believe from experience that most people from the BAME community identify with these values and dare I say, these are the only true ingredients which guarantee lasting success. It’s time to focus on values and shatter stereotype.