Shaun is a 35 year old youth worker, and one of the contenders for the Conservative parliamentary candidacy in Hammersmith. His political hero is Martin Luther King and he wants to represent his local area because "I understand the community and the community understands me". Michael Ehioze-Ediae met him yesterday on behalf of ConservativeHome. His website is here.
What do you do?
I am the director of a charity called MyGeneration which is involved in youth and family work. The charity runs a job club, football club and other special projects like organising educational trips. The aim of all our activities is to teach young people to be independent and take personal responsibility for their actions. I am also a research fellow at the Centre for Policy Studies.
Why did you become interested in politics?
I work in a sector where the sad realities of socialist policies are revealed. Our young people are exposed to drugs and pornography and the liberal elite promote policies that are crushing the poor. Labour’s policies have created a dependency culture and all the people I know who have done badly are products of the dependency culture.
My Granny and all her contemporaries believe in the politics of personal responsibility and self-determination. Also, all the strong communities that I know attained their strength though personal responsibility and not state hand-outs. These are conservative beliefs and that is why I am a Conservative.
Why do you want to be an MP?
I have been successfully involved in community work for 19 years and I would like a platform to affect the wider community. I would also like to challenge some of the perceived politics notions of the establishment such as political correctness and liberal attitudes to drugs and crime. I also have a means of communicating with the youth and I believe people from my racial and employment background should be represented in the party and in the House of Commons.
What would you say to people who argue that it is only because you are black that you might win the primaries?
I will ask them to look at the quality of my work and who I am. If they know a black, white, red or green person that it as qualified as I am, they should bring the person forward.
What issues will you champion if you are elected?
I will focus on the issues of Crime, Housing, community regeneration, education and provision for the elderly. I believe that too many people are being set free before they serve their sentences and I would scrap or drastically cut inheritance tax. Also, stamp duty should be reduced and shared ownership schemes should be expanded.
What are your views on the EU?
It’s nice that we are members of the EU but we should think very long and hard before we give up any more of our sovereignty. This country has over a hundred year’s history of democracy and as such we should not just surrender our democracy to Europe.
Did you support the invasion of Iraq?
No, because wars are always messy and it was unlikely that the war would end how it was scripted. The fact that Tony Blair was heavily in favour of the war meant that we should have questioned the feasibility of the war. Now that we are in this mess; we have a moral obligation to sort it out. We should only have gone to war with the UN’s approval.
What do you think of George Bush?
He has his own issues which are not ours and he is big enough to sort them out.
America is our major trading partner and has been our good friend for many years. But it does not mean that they should be our boss. We are the masters of our own destiny.
Should Britain join America if it decided to take military action against Iran?
America has its own issues but it does not mean that we have to be involved.
He sounds like a first rate, Thatcherite candidate. Best of luck to him.
Posted by: Tory T | March 27, 2007 at 12:48
He sounds very sound but where are the interviews with all the other candidates for all the other seats...?
Posted by: Angelo Basu | March 27, 2007 at 12:54
Not sure about this one...
Posted by: Justin Hinchcliffe | March 27, 2007 at 14:28
Shaun sounds like a very good candidate, but I think it is poor judgement on the part of ConservativeHome to publish an interview with him with the Hammersmith selection pending. It is simply not fair on the other candidates he is up against to give him this opportunity to promote himself just before a selection meeting. Is this site, which is valued for its fairness and transparency, going to give the other candidates the same opportunity? I hope that it is not the policy of this site to promote candidates they feel would be good MPs in preference to all others.
Posted by: Rob Wilkins | March 27, 2007 at 14:31
Mr Bailey may wear a Superman T-shirt but his views on the war on terror seem decidely weak. His belief in the UN is particularly disappointing. Does he not realise that it is a corrupted and compromised body?
Posted by: Umbrella Man | March 27, 2007 at 14:36
It may have been the wrong judgment, Rob, I don't quite know but Shaun is clearly a celebrity candidate and I thought ConservativeHome readers would be interested in learning more about him.
Posted by: Editor | March 27, 2007 at 14:48
If you havent seen Shaun in action, there's a video of him answering questions on his website (www.shaunbailey.co.uk).
Posted by: PuffDaddio | March 27, 2007 at 14:51
But it can be remedied by allowing the other candidates to state their platform, can't it? For example questions were asked about Shaun's ethnicity - am I right that Helen Grant is also a BME candidate, and an outstanding one too? I don't know the others but do agree that they should be offered equal space.
Posted by: Tory T | March 27, 2007 at 14:55
U-Man,maybe people in Hammersmith care more about charities and things for youths to do in the area than the UN!
Posted by: The_Watto | March 27, 2007 at 15:06
Shaun has written extremely sensible articles in the DT - does that give him an unfair advantage?
It's up to the candidates to show they've got what it takes to get in the public eye - Shaun can obviously hack it, now let's see what the others can do.
ps. I have no connection with Hammersmith.
Posted by: sjm | March 27, 2007 at 15:17
Rob @ 14:31 - I agree with you and I am a Hammersmith local (although sadly can't make it on Thursday evening due to University commitments). I'm really quite cross about this unless a chance is also given to the other candidates. I
Posted by: Sally Roberts | March 27, 2007 at 15:20
If any of the other candidates would like to contact me I'll happily give them space...
Posted by: Editor | March 27, 2007 at 15:38
Thanks Editor - that reassures me and hopefully others!
Posted by: Sally Roberts | March 27, 2007 at 15:42
I think Con Home is influential in many ways but somehow I doubt having an article on here can swing a selection in a candidates favour.
Posted by: Graham D'Amiral | March 27, 2007 at 15:46
The final four for Hammersmith all look very strong candidates to me. However Shaun with his work experience and work for the Centre for Policy Studies would be a great addition to the Conservative benches.
Posted by: Dave H | March 27, 2007 at 18:55
Well done, great to see new forward looking people getting involved,
Matt
Posted by: matt wright | March 27, 2007 at 23:56
So a man who admits the bleeding obvious, that the welfare state has destroyed any semblance of responsibility amongst individuals in many parts of the UK, is now considered to be a great parliamentary candidate. Can I be a prospective MP, please ? Oh no, of course not, I'm not black.
The Tories really are getting desperate to show how 'street' they are. How pathetic.
Posted by: Stephen Tolkinghorne | March 28, 2007 at 07:43
Is Shaun Bailey an active Christian? If so, that would go to help explain why Fr. Tim has given him this publicity here on ChristianHome!
Posted by: Justin Hinchcliffe | March 28, 2007 at 08:46
Irrespective of whether Shaun Bailey would make a good candidate for Hammersmith or not, he is a person the tories really ought to work with.
His work with MyGeneration has been outstanding and to make inner city policies really work in practice, we need hundreds of Shaun Baileys round the country giving a lead to deprived youngsters and providing them with something to aspire to.
He is a good man.
Posted by: David Belchamber | March 28, 2007 at 09:38
Shaun Bailey was on ITV's Moral of the Story last night. He performed well on the discussion about wealth, but then decided he supported an apology and reparations for slavery in part two. I found this http://chameleonsonbicycles.wordpress.com/2007/04/02/how-shaun-bailey-blew-it/ for more.
Posted by: Bicycling Chameleon | April 02, 2007 at 19:48
Shaun Bailey for Prime Minister !!
Posted by: OMNI | April 03, 2007 at 18:11
What are your views on the EU?
It’s nice that we are members of the EU but we should think very long and hard before we give up any more of our sovereignty. This country has over a hundred year’s history of democracy and as such we should not just surrender our democracy to Europe.
A hundred years? Yup, that's about right.
Posted by: Ivan | May 02, 2007 at 14:50