What made this leadership contest so unusual during the Parliamentary ballots was the diversity of the field. Of the eight candidates that qualified for the first round of voting half were women and half ethnic minorities, and two are both. In the current cabinet there are six women and six ethnic minorities, including one that is both. This is a remarkable achievement pushed by multiple, successive party leaders starting with David Cameron, with the mantle passing onto Boris Johnson.
In 2005, when Cameron became our Party’s leader, our party had just 17 women and only two MPs from ethnic minorities. By 2010, the numbers had jumped to 49 female MPs and 11 ethnic minorities.
In 2015, it further increased to 68 female MPs and 17 ethnic minority MPs. Each general election delivered results which better reflected wider society. Many of these MPs with diverse backgrounds would go on to reach Cabinet.
Sajid Javid was appointed to the Cabinet by Cameron in 2014, and Priti Patel was first appointed by Theresa May in 2016: both were part of the 2010 Commons intake. What was even more notable was the ‘diversity within the diversity’. We had MPs with varied backgrounds including Indian, Pakistani, Chinese and East African Asian heritages. There was not a single ’type’ of diverse MP.
During the 2019 leadership campaign, Johnson committed to an independent investigation into discrimination and prejudice within the Conservative Party. He followed through on this commitment which led to the appointment of Professor Swaran Singh, a former Commissioner at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, to investigate.
In 2020, I became the first ethnic minority member to be elected by our Party’s association chairmen and other members of the National Convention to the Conservative Party Board. I was later joined by Malik Karim, who the Prime Minister appointed as the Party’s 40th Treasurer and the first from a non-white background.
Johnson’s Cabinet consisted an array of ethnic minority firsts. Sajid Javid was the first ethnic minority to be appointed to a great office of State, and he was also the first to be appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer. Priti Patel was the first ethnic minority female to hold a great office of state.
I was asked to lead the voluntary party efforts in implementing the 27 recommendations of Professor Singh which were presented in the ‘Singh Report’. This work has already brought about substantial cultural changes in the voluntary party, and its impact cannot be underestimated.
It required wholesale changes to the way we operate including reform of both complaints procedures and training to ensure no-one with protected characteristics is discriminated against. This work makes us even more open and help us better reflect wider society. I believe it will help attract a greater diversity of members and future candidates.
Today, the Conservative Party currently has more ethnic minorities around the Cabinet table than the Labour Party has had in its entire history. The pool of candidates for our next Prime Minister, the most diverse in history, is a landmark moment for our Party. It is emblematic of arguably one of the most enduring legacies of the Johnson’s prime ministership – putting merit and ability at the forefront of decision making when appointing members of government.
We are the most successful political party in history. Charles Darwin wrote that those that are most able to adapt and adjust to their changing environment thrive. We are a Party that believes in equality of opportunity – it is core to our identity that we must reflect our society. By being open and welcoming to potential members regardless of their background we can continue building on our legacy and successes.