The pace of mass immigration is so fast that whole new ethnic communities have now established themselves. Its wrong to think these new communities should automatically get political representation, particularly when long established communities and the lower class whites have never had any representation. If you think an average age for an MP candidate is 40, and its fair to expect them to have been in the UK since childhood to fully understand and appreciate the UK’s political, social, historical and cultural systems, you are aiming representation at a much smaller ethnic population figure. To base it on current levels is incorrect and open to positive discrimination to favour the unqualified or the corrupt.

On another point, if you take the black population, most “liberal” whites still assume it to be West Indian, when its probably now about 70% 1st & 2nd generation African. Two very different cultures and identities. I believe Africans are more likely to vote Tory. What about the most successful, most integrated and least ghettoised ethnic group in the UK: the Chinese? Why is their representation ignored?

The best example of liberal Britain is the election of Adam Afriyie in Windsor. He’s largely ignored by the left media, as he does not fit their agenda.

Sunder, I agree with Jennie–I’ve done some digging on this subject within the Lib Dems already–a large proportion of our MPs have longstanding local links to their constituency, the same is true of the candidates, my local PPC has lived in the area for twenty years, my old MP in Torbay had run for the seat several times before finally winning and had previously been a councillor in the area, etc.

If you’re in a party that has to work damn hard to keep its head above water, let alone win the number of seats that reflect its vote share (as opposed to huge numbers more than your votes justify), then you’re going to select a local well known activist of long standing. If most of your MPs come from overwhelming white areas, your base to select BME candidates from in those winnable areas is substantially reduced.

I return to my oft repeated point–abolishing multi-member constituencies in 1947 was the greatest blow against a diverse parliament (in terms of women as well as minority groups) that has been struck. Reversing that measure and bringing back STV for all constituencies would significantly improve the diversity of Parlt without any need for top down measures.

I, and a number of friends, worked damn hard in Ealing Southall to get Nigel Bakhai elected in the ’07 by-election, and the numbers are distinctly in his favour next time as well. If my local (female) PPC hadn’t won the selection, the 2nd placed option was a prominent atheist asian, I’ll be helping his campaign to get elected as an MEP next year and his re-election to the council, and if he gets selected as a candidate elsewhere I’ll travel to help him, I really like the guy (shared religious non-beliefs possibly help there I suspect).

But I also agree with the consensus, we don’t need the British Obama to be black. But I also suspect we’ve already had him, his landslide victory on the back of a massive popular will for change was achieved by Tony Blair over here 11 years ago.

I sincerely hope Obama doesn’t turn out to be the US version of Blair.

“The most important thin g about Obama is he inspires people and brings hope of change for the better”

Hmmm……just like Blair did in 97 and just like Cameron attempted in his leadership contest. Let’s hope Obama’s is not empty rhetoric, but he is a lawyer. Oh dear.

That’s incorrect. In the 1890s the first Asian MP was elected: M M Bhownagree for Bethnal Green.

Anyway, people forget that we had a minority PM in the mid-1800s: Benjamin Disraeli, who was Jewish.

The most important thin g about Obama is he inspires people and brings hope of change for the better. If someone like that came to prominance in Britain, and effected change so that the country was revitalised and no-one held back and everyone was able to progress to the limit of their abilities, it would be a wonderful thing.

Where’s the global equality?

I’ve spent time working, travelling and living in some of the poorer pockets of the world and to be honest, in most of them you are simply lucky to be allowed to live [not be murdered]. I’m all for equality but its got to be global.

As far as situations like Coventry’s are concerned, one answer (which may be forced on the parties anyway by declining membership) would be to have city-wide parties rather than constituency-based ones. The selectorate (so long as we have to have one) could then write a “ticket” that pressed all the various buttons.

Sadly, local government elections show that both white and BME communities prefer to vote for “one of their own”. We’ll have true equality when that no longer happens. But that is asking altogether too much.

This is possibly due to localism – something Lib Dems are firm believers in – and people wanting to stand in their home constituency. We’re not as much for parachuting candidates in from head office as the other two big parties.