Indian-origin candidates hope to grab anti-Brexit vote in UK polls

Friday, 05/05/2017

http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=176199&boxid=62520&uid=&dat=2017-05-05

London: Indian-origin candidates of the UK’s Liberal Democrat party are hoping to grab anti-Brexit votes in the June 8 general election. The Liberal Democrat party is fielding a number of ethnic minority candidates in constituencies which either voted against Brexit or were sharply divided on the issue. These include Marisha Ray, who was born in London to Bengali parents, and Goan-origin Rabi Martins.

“Most Indian-origin electorate voted anti-Brexit and few in the community who may have voted Leave did so because of the lies they were told by the Leave campaign. They made their decision based on information which turned out to be completely untrue,” said Ray, who is contesting a Tory stronghold of Chipping Barnet in north London.

She is confident of making a dent because the constituency was largely anti-Brexit in the 2016 referendum but is represented by staunch pro-Brexit Conservative MP Theresa Villiers. “We have seen a sharp rise in hate crimes in the wake of the referendum and it is important we mobilise the Indian community for the upcoming election,” Ray added. Martins, who is contesting a Labour party stronghold in the east of England believes there is a “chink in their armour” because the MP, Kelvin Hopkins, is pro-Brexit. “Luton North voted for Brexit very narrowly and that is where we see an opportunity to prevent Theresa May’s hard Brexit,” he said.

The party leader, Tim Farron, called on the British Indian community to back them because the ruling Conservatives and Opposition Labour had taken their votes for granted. “This election, I am saddened to say, is a bit of a foregone conclusion. Theresa May called this election because she believes this is the moment for her to get a big majority. The Indian community won’t be the only community taken for granted if she gets that,” Farron said.

The 1.2 million-strong Indian diaspora has been traditionally seen as pro-Labour but had registered a swing towards the David Cameron-led Conservative party in the last general election. It remains to be seen how much impact the Lib Dems are able to make to woo their votes next month.

Highlights

 The Indian community won’t be the only community taken for granted if she gets that, party leader Farron said.

‘We have seen a sharp rise in hate crimes in the wake of the referendum and it is important we mobilise the Indian community for the upcoming election’