Rapidly being updated as we speak are all web-references in the name of Sajad Karim. The MEP elected on the LibDem ticket in the north west region in 2004 as has now decided to become a Tory. At LibDem home posters are unearthing speeches from him slagging off Cameron. From his own blog here he talks about giving the Tories a hiding in an upcoming by-election at the time it was written.
I remember Karim’s leaflets in 2004 castigating Labour for only putting ethnic minorities in unwinnable positions on their list – I was number 8 and Ebrahim Adia at number 9. Yet we were both happy to serve not expecting special favours. Karim meanwhile got himself elected in 04 after being fast-tracked by Cowley Street, was re-selected second to publicity hogging Chris Davies on Friday and decides to throw in the towel on Monday after doing the sums and realising that the sinking LibDem ship is unlikely to get 2 MEPs next time. Chris Paul has traced Karim family Tory tradition stemming from his dad as a Conservative councillor in Pendle. However you explain it though SK is an opportunist only bothered about himself. There will be a lot of LibDem activists who worked hard to get him elected and re-selected who’ll be mightily pissed off and not without justification.
I do not see the defection of this character as a harbinger for great things for the Tories. In 02 Richard Balfe, former London Labour MEP jumped ship to them and Labour still won the next Genreal Election despite the Telegraph’s then claim “Senior Conservatives claimed that Mr Balfe’s decision could prove to be a turning point for the party after a long period of suffering defections to other parties.” A quick google reveals that Balfe no longer lives in Woolwich (his constituency) but is based in Suffolk where he administers EU pensions funds from.
Cameron’s last fast-tracked pretty boy Asian trophy find Tony Lit was charitably called an experiment but proved to be a disaster. Karim’ll be wanting to top the NW Tory Euro list in 09 no doubt. Fomer Tory candidate Ali Miraj had his 15 minutes when his huffing and puffing didn’t acheive the desired result and was kicked out mind you.
Apparently it was Cameron’s “race” policy that won over Karim. I’m reminded of a quote in the Daily Mirror last week when the Tory leader visited his latest hindu temple (from I think Steve Pound) “David Cameron’s played the race card before, this time he’s trying it with an Indian accent”.
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November 26, 2007 at 12:52 pm
Tim
On a slightly for general note I wonder what the value of MPs actually is. I may be making a generalisation here but how much influence do MPs actually have? I have contacted my (Lib Dem) MP deveral times and while he is generally fairly responsive I don’t think he would ever vote on something in parliment because I felt strongly about it. Even when the best of intentions, if MPs do take a stand against something more often than not they get over-ridden through the bearucracy of government, not to mention government whips. How exactly does this facilitate a democracy?
November 26, 2007 at 2:34 pm
Sajjad Karim jumps from frying pan to fire « Parburypolitica
[...] Rupa Huq and Chris Paul seem to have a far greater tolerance threshold for disecting non entities. So go check them out and while your at it try and sort out some better or at least not dank weather. The Soviets managed it for their Mayday parades why on earth can’t we. Posted by parburypolitica Filed in Uncategorized [...]
November 26, 2007 at 3:17 pm
Pickled Politics » Sajjad Karim
[...] Rupa Huq and Chris Paul have interesting analysis on this hilarious development. | Trackback link | Add to del.icio.us | function fbs_click() {u=location.href;t=document.title;window.open(‘http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=’+encodeURIComponent(u)+’&t=’+encodeURIComponent(t),’sharer’,'toolbar=0,status=0,width=626,height=436′);return false;}Share on Facebook | Filed in: Party politics [...]
November 26, 2007 at 4:59 pm
Paul Evans
Rupa, surely Peers are actually Parliamentarians too, so I don’t think your post title is especially accurate. Not sure what your complaints about the Lib Dems are, other than they did too much to help “fast-track” Karim?
November 26, 2007 at 5:22 pm
rupahuq
Well blogs are havens for pedantry aren’t they? “Elected parliamentarian” if you prefer or “the nearest thing that the LDs have ever had to a minority ethnic MP” then.
The Lib Dems failure was to see through this slippery individualist. Apostacy of this type is pure opportunism.
Chris Paul has now launched a caption contest regarding this worth checking out.
November 26, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Paul Evans
Just noticed? Yes, you are right I suppose, but no party can exactly claim to be immune from backing those whose turn out to be turncoats. I tend to think the Lib Dem approach of encouraging and diverting funds to supporting all minority groups who wish to pursue political careers is better than forcing shortlists and artifically bolstering figures, undermining meritocracy, and perhaps ultimately retarding the cause of the better representation.
NB: It’s Lib Dem Voice, not Lib Dem Home
November 27, 2007 at 10:47 am
mixtogether
‘Apostacy’ is a very charged word to throw at a Muslim.
No political ideology should be equated with a faith. More importantly, no faith should be made to seem exclusively congruent with one political ideology…
December 16, 2007 at 6:36 am
Idetrorce
very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
Idetrorce