by NIRJ DEVA
LIKE me, you are probably dismayed at the paralysis with the Brexit negotiations.
We from the Asian community have made a proud contribution to Britain, which we have now made our home. We don’t want a failing Britain, but a successful Britain, a prosperous Britain, a global Britain. The people voted to leave and honour that we must; and yet the MPs in the House of Commons have sadly blocked the deal. Now Labour and the Liberal Democrats are seeking to reverse the majority view.
Only the Conservative party is committed to delivering Brexit now. Only the Conservatives are committed to a rejuvenated global Britain that puts free trade, enterprise, small businesses, home ownership, outstanding education for our children, and an entrepreneurial spirit at the heart of our British Asian identity.
Your values are our party’s values. Your objectives are also our party’s objectives. We all stand for a low-tax, freer, prosperous, business friendly economic powerhouse with trade links to East Africa, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Under Jeremy Corbyn, Labour has become a hard-left Marxist party that will hammer businesses with higher taxes and punish businesspeople. Now Labour is the party of a second referendum; mocking all those who voted in the original one. A vote for Labour is a disregard for the national interest. Labour winning this election would be a springboard to a Marxist hard-left government, hitting us with higher businesses rates, higher income taxes, and renationalisation of all utilities at ruinous cost to the taxpayer: you and your family.
Another party serving itself is the Brexit party. This is a one-man show, led by Nigel Farage, who had to remove himself from his previous party because of alleged racist overtones. His party has no MPs in the House of Commons and can do nothing to make Brexit happen.
Though he is a nice guy to have a drink with, voting for a one-man show is a total waste of your vote at this critical time. The Brexit party offers no coherent vision of what Britain should look like in the future. Only the Conservative party can push through a deal in parliament to get this over the line.
As for the Lib Dems, their slogan – which is highly offensive to the Asian community – is “bollocks to Brexit”, which shows how arrogant they are about the wishes of 17.5 million people.
So I urge you and your family to vote Conservative on Thursday (23), to send a clear message that you want the Brexit process concluded quickly and the work to build a global Britain to begin. In that task, the Asian community has a huge role to play. We will come into our own – our links, our families and our friends in our countries of heritage will become the bedrock for expanding trade across the globe and for making Britain richer.
Only the Conservative party has the ability and economic competence to secure Britain’s future prosperity and global ambitions. Make your voice heard on Thursday. Vote for an ambitious vision rather than a cynical protest. Vote Conservative.
Nirj Deva MEP is the first Asian-born, post-war Conservative MP and the first Asian-born MEP elected to the European Parliament
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event