Lord Ahmad: Rays of hope in a divided land; reflections from Israel and Palestine

Lord (Tariq) Ahmad is a Conservative Peer in House of Lords and former Vice Chairman (Cities) of the Conservative Party and also a Director of Sucden Financial, a commodities trading firm in the City of London.

Together with colleagues from the British Parliament I have just returned from a most informative and revealing trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories organised under the auspices of the Conservative Middle East Forum (CMEC). The delegation was led by CMEC’s Chairman, Baroness Morris of Bolton and facilitated by the CMEC Director, Leo Docherty.

During the course of this visit the delegation had the opportunity to witness, share and learn from the experiences of the communities of Israel and Palestine. More significantly, we gained a most meaningful and constructive insight into the current conflict through meeting representatives from across the political and religious spectrum. Key meetings included those with the Head of the settler movement in Hebron, the witness testimonies of retired young Israeli officers, Palestinian businessman and officials, as well as Israeli Government representatives, prominent amongst which was our most constructive meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister, Dan Meridor. 

Both individually and collectively, the delegation was encouraged by the positive examples of hope, aspiration and constructive progress. I was taken by the dynamism of Tel Aviv in Israel and Ramallah in the West Bank. Two contrasting, yet progressive cities of the region. We also saw the ambition of the Palestinian communities encapsulated through DFID funded farming projects in the West Bank and the new emerging city of Rawabi. 

Lord Ahmad: Carnage and mayhem ruled last night in Croydon, but its community spirit will prevail

Lord (Tariq) Ahmad is a Conservative Peer in House of Lords and former Vice Chairman (Cities) of the Conservative Party and also a Director of Sucden Financial, a commodities trading firm in the City of London.

The scenes witnessed across London last night were unprecedented. Carnage and mayhem ruled the roost as many brave police officers battled against the odds to bring some semblance of peace to the anarchic situation on the streets of our capital city.

Like many, I watched with disbelief at the scale and speed at which the riots spread. Initial concerns fast escalated into deep anxiety and for some, absolute devastation as they saw their homes and livelihoods being destroyed in front of them.

One particular area which suffered a night of horror was the London Road in Croydon. This is my old patch, Croydon North, a strong Labour seat which I fought back in 2005 for the Conservatives. At that time it was what it is today, a seat of diverse demographics, suffering from major pockets of deprivation, yet with real community spirit enhanced by the number of small businesses in the area. Campaigning in the area over three years it was clear that the number one priority for many residents and businesses was the need for more police officers and effective policing. Last night proved that this priority remains a desperate need for the area.

Tariq Ahmad: The BNP's ideology remains bigoted and divisive and it is the duty of the Conservative Party to counter their activities

Tariq Ahmad is Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party with responsibility for Cities and Diversity and also a Director of Sucden Financial, a commodities trading firm in the City of London.

The last week has been an interesting one for politics in relation to the issues of diversity in representation hitting the headlines.

On Sunday at a special meeting convened by the BNP, the party announced that it had “changed” its constitution so as to allow members from ethnic minorities to join its ranks, indeed we hear its first "non white" member is waiting in the wings.

However, one does not need to delve too deeply into some obscure sub-text to discover the farcical nature of their announcement. The BNP had been under threat with a court injunction over its whites-only membership policy by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The party must now wait until March when the courts will decide if the new rules meet race relation laws.

Action though is judged by intent, and the Leader of the BNP, Nick Griffin, was very obliging in clarifying any lingering doubts of real change. The only reason this change was affected, was merely because of, in his words, “legal reasons.”

However, in making this change the BNP have shown that they are seeking to not just retain their somewhat up to now (thankfully!) limited political representation, but broaden their appeal and acceptance. It is therefore essential that the BNP's true “raison d’être” and identity is not forgotten in light of this announcement. The fact remains that the BNP needs to ensure that it can function under the laws of our land.  No one expects or believes that there will be lines of potential members from Britain’s diverse ethnic communities queuing up to join.