Category: Newspaper Articles

Spectator: Ugandan Asians are part of Britain’s secret weapon for success

By Baroness Warsi BRITAIN is in a global economic race. But we have a secret weapon — our diverse communities. They’re people with worldwide business networks, cultural insight and endless talent. It’s estimated our economy misses out on billions by failing to make the most of ethnic minorities. Yet half of people polled in one survey thought they were bad for the economy. Try telling that to people like my dad, who helped rebuild this country after the war. And to the millions who contribute to British society today. To help more play their part, we must kick down barriers — help people learn English, ask them to sign up to our British values and boot intolerance and bigotry out of Britain.

By Sayeeda Warsi At 11am this Sunday the nation will fall silent in honour of all our fallen soldiers. Elderly grandparents will watch the Cenotaph service on television, thinking about friends, fiancés and fathers lost in service. The pain will be all the more raw for the families who have lost loved ones in more recent years, even recent weeks. But our image of the First World War, after which the first Remembrance Day events started taking place, is in danger of losing its sharpness. The Great War has all but dropped out of living memory, particularly with the passing of the last of our uniformed veterans, 110-year-old former WAF officer Florence Green, back in February this year. With first-hand recollection all but gone, we risk that conflict fading, like a sun-bleached photograph. So it is more important than ever for us to share the realities of the Great War – the poems, the paintings, the accounts and the artefacts – with every child in every part of Britain. Remembrance is at the forefront of our national consciousness, especially thanks to the Royal British Legion and their Poppy Appeal, which aims to raise millions of pounds a year for veterans and their families. You can hardly see a buttonhole without a splash of red at this time of year. It’s no wonder there was such an uproar last year when footballers were nearly stopped from sporting their poppies, or that the nation cheered David Cameron on the year before for wearing his in China, despite being asked not to by his hosts. But there is also a need to educate people further on our wartime history, especially after a survey by the excellent new think-tank British Future revealed that more than half of 16-24-year-olds couldn’t name the start date of the First World War and 60 per cent couldn’t say when it ended. Luckily, the forthcoming centenary of the Great War in two year’s time offers us an ideal opportunity to share the truths of the Great War with our young people. Last month, the Prime Minister made a speech calling the commemorations a “personal priority”, before pledging £50 million in government funds to commemorate this milestone. That includes an education programme, enabling pupils and teachers from every state school in the country to research the First World War history, and follow their journey of discovery through a trip to the Battlefields. It includes transforming the Imperial War Museum into an even more fantastic site. And it includes national commemorations that befit such a huge occasion. The centenary offers us a further opportunity to bring people together to learn about our shared history. As the British Future survey shows, just 44 per cent of adults know about the contribution of Commonwealth Soldiers in the wars. Yet 1.3 million people volunteered with the British Indian Army in the First War (70,000 lost their lives); and this doubled in the Second World War. I am proud to say that both my grandfathers served in the Royal Sappers and Miners Regiment and were stationed, I understand, in Burma and Aden. These soldiers – all of whom were volunteers; they weren’t conscripted – should also be remembered with honour and dignity. This is a particularly powerful point to make to disaffected youths, for them to know that those who fought in the Allied Forces in the First World War weren’t just Tommies, they were Tariqs and Tajinders too – and that every single one of us, whatever our background, owes a debt of gratitude to those who fought for our freedoms nearly a century ago. That is a message that will rain on the parade of extremists: both the preachers of hate, who burn poppies as a vile protest against the West, and the far Right, who hijack the patriotism of Remembrance Sunday by trying suppress its messages of tolerance and freedom by making the event a divisive, whites-only moment. So as we come together to reflect this Sunday, let’s also think of our duties and opportunities: duties to educate future generations of our forebears’ sacrifices; and opportunities that arise when our nation comes together to remember their heroism.

By Baroness Warsi LYING in a British hospital is Malala Yousafzai, the young girl who the Pakistani Taliban shot last week because she dared to go to school. As the Minister for Pakistan, and as a mum, I’m so proud our country is helping brave and beautiful Malala. She is 14, the same age as my daughter — but their lives have been so different. In Pakistan, Malala had to campaign for her right to an education. The Taliban shot her because they said educating girls was “obscene”. But as I have said during speeches in the UK and in Pakistan, the Koran encourages women’s education. What’s truly obscene is trying to kill a teenager for speaking this truth. The Taliban have failed. Malala’s message of freedom and equality has now gone global. But our duty isn’t just to help this little girl. It is to carry on spreading her message so that she and her friends all have the freedoms my daughter has. Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4591527/Malalas-safe-now.html#ixzz29TylA7Yv

LONDON: Overseas Pakistanis have offered to help Malala Yousafzai if she is sent to London for treatment. Although surgeons have removed a bullet from the head of Malala, 14, and she is in stable condition but concerns remain about her health and leading British Pakistanis have expressed their desire to help the young rights’ activist who spoke out against Taliban. Foreign Office Minister Baroness Warsi condemned the “cowardly attack” on Malala Yousufzai. She told The News that her activism is inspirational and she “bravely highlighted the need for education to be accessible to all children in Pakistan”. “Our thoughts and prayers go to Malala and her friends and family, and to the people of Pakistan who have suffered so much from terrorism. They will always have our sympathy, our understanding, and our robust support in confronting terrorism and supporting education for all in Pakistan. It is my hope that Malala and all Pakistani children will be able to reach their full potential without the threat of terrorism hanging over their youth.” Warsi said her own daughter was 14 years old but she and her peers were lucky to live in peace and security in Britain. “When the second and third generation Pakistanis turn on their TVs, it saddens them but also gives them inspiration the way brave young girls like Malala are standing up for the rights and freedoms of the whole world.” Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan called the attack on Malala was an “outrageous act”. He said, “She is symbol of Pakistan’s resilience, represents our future and youth. We must fight back and eliminate these rascals who are destroying our country. These people are not Muslim. We need to rethink because we have diverted ourselves from the vision of Jinanh and allowed free hands to terrorists. We must eliminate these barbarians.” Since Taliban gunmen in the Swat valley shot the young girl, hundreds of people called offices of Jang and Geo and offered to help Malala’s family through contribution towards her medical treatment, education and rehabilitation. Attack on Malala has sparked outrage among Pakistanis all over the world. Prayers have been held for her life and recovery at homes and in mosques across Britain. Renowned Pakistani neurologist surgeon Dr Irfan Malik offered to the government of Pakistan that he will bear all costs of Malala’s treatment in the UK and would get her treated at a top Harley Street clinic. “If the government of Pakistan feels that Malala needs treatment abroad at any stage, I will suggest that London has some the best clinics. I will make all the arrangements for her treatment. She is our pride. It’s a tragedy what happened to her but the fact is we mentioned her name with pride and relate ourselves to her.” Human Rights Society of Pakistan (UK Chapter) offers to bear all costs of Malala Yousafzai’s treatment in the UK. Ahmed Shahzad told this correspondent, “I will pay for her full treatment in the UK, including travel costs. Malala is a national asset. She symbolizes everything good about Pakistani youth, their courage and determination.” Taliban have issued further threats to her and it is understood that her normal life has already come to an end. The government of Pakistan cannot afford to let her live in her village or anywhere where her whereabouts are known or easily accessible. She may have to leave Pakistan to claim asylum abroad where her application will be easily accepted. In fact many western governments would line up to welcome her and offer her residency.

Published in The Sun, Thursday 27th October 2011 WE work hard. Each month we get our pay packets. Part of it we bring home, part goes to the Government. We spend our part wisely. We root out the bargains. But what about the share that’s taken by the Government? Are they as smart with our cash? For too long, they haven’t been. And for 13 long years under Labour there wasn’t any real transparency about what was going on. Now we’re doing things differently, publishing all big items of public spending online. It’s like when you go home with a new purchase, and someone asks: “How much?” That is the common sense we apply at home. And that is the common sense that’s finally being applied in government.

Published in the Daily Telegraph, Tuesday 28th October 2011 Earlier this year, people across the world were shocked and appalled when Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian in the Pakistani cabinet, was assassinated. I met him a week before he was murdered; last week, I saw his brother, Dr Paul Bhatti – a trained surgeon who has now become minorities adviser to the Pakistani prime minister, and helped set up a new Ministry of Harmony – and spoke to him about the plans Shahbaz and I had been discussing. Back in March, when Shahbaz was murdered, I said that the soul of Pakistan was not in these attacks. There is nothing in the vision laid out by Pakistan’s founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, that creates the space for such acts of hatred. The idea of unity through diversity runs through Pakistan’s history and helps to define its society today. In the last 18 months, I have made four visits to Pakistan, and I have seen for myself the moments of hope among the tragedies. It is heartening, for example, that for the first time in Pakistan’s history, a number of seats are to be allocated for minorities in the senate. But two things struck me that are as relevant to us as they are to Pakistan. First, it is a mistake to assume that you compromise your identity the more you try to understand others. The stronger your understanding of your neighbour, the stronger your own religious identity becomes. For many years, I have been saying that the stronger we are as a Christian nation, the more understanding we will be of other faiths. That is why, a year ago, I went to a bishops’ conference and said that this Government would “do God”. It is why the Pope’s visit was so important for our country. And it is why I am proud that this year, for the first time, the Prime Minister held an Easter reception in Downing Street. We need to create a country in which people can be unashamedly proud of their faith – where they don’t feel that they have to leave religion at the door. That means being proud of Christianity, not downgrading it. It means encouraging people to say that their faith inspires what they do. It means supporting religious charities in delivering public services in schools, hospices and rehabilitation.

Published in The Yorkshire Post, Monday 17th October 2011 Recently I was asked what qualities I bring from my Northern roots to my role in Government. My response was simple: what I bring to the Cabinet table is Yorkshire common sense. A common sense approach to politics means that you don’t do what politicians normally do and deny the obvious. It means you don’t spin your way out of something that’s gone wrong. It means telling it as it is and being straight with people – having the courage to be upfront and frank. So let’s be frank about the problems our country is facing. Times really are tough. The world faces a very serious debt crisis. Families are struggling. Here in Yorkshire, many people are worried about losing their jobs. I know how that feels – my father lost his job and faced unemployment. What the Prime Minister said last week was true: every job loss is a tragedy for an individual and for a family. So last week I was back on the campaign trail, travelling round my home county of Yorkshire and listening to people’s concerns. People were telling me the same thing: it’s not easy. They are switching from buying fresh to frozen; they’re leaving the car at home; they are thinking twice – or even not at all – about going on holiday this year. Others, small business owners, are asking how they are expected to weather the economic storm. When they told me their concerns I didn’t soft soap them or dish out the usual platitudes. Instead, my message was the same as my father told me when he was struggling: we can get through this; we can ride out the storm; we can build a better, different future. And Britain can achieve that better future, but as a government we need to take the right decisions for the long-term. What that means, firstly, is living within our means. Everyone in Yorkshire knows – and we have taught our children this for years – that you can’t get anywhere if you weigh yourself down with debt. Our economy is a bit like a household budget – you have to deal with the credit card or the bills will keep on mounting up. Unlike the previous government, we know that the way out of debt is not by creating more debt. Secondly, it means helping hardworking families and those who do the right thing. Right now, people are worried about the monthly outgoings, the weekly shop, today’s bills. So what is this Government doing? We have funded a freeze in council tax, leaving people in this region with an average of up to £70 back in their pockets. Then there is the increase in the personal allowance, which, in Yorkshire and the Humber is benefiting a whopping two million people and taking 26,000 out of tax altogether. Thirdly, the key to a stable economy is getting people into work. So we are joining forces with local businesses and organisations to create around 10,000 new jobs in Yorkshire through the Regional Growth Fund. We are making sure work actually pays by reforming the benefits system and introducing the fairer, simpler Universal Credit, while setting up the largest welfare to work programme Britain has seen since the 1930s. We are helping people to gain the skills to take up employment, with more than 10,000 under-25s on Jobseeker’s Allowance in this region gaining from our work experience programme and many others benefiting from our work academies. Finally, a better future requires a strong economy for the long-term. When I was in Slaithwaite last week I visited a bakery, which relied on community support and investment to raise the £40,000 necessary to renovate and equip its bakery, café and training school. This is just the sort of innovation and community-led growth that we need. And that is why Local Enterprise Partnerships – of which there are three in this region – are putting power in the hands of businesses and councils to capitalise on local entrepreneurialism and expertise to create their own thriving economies. My Yorkshire common sense tells me we need to be frank about these tough times, but that we also need to be positive about forging a better future. Clearing up the financial mess left by Labour, living within our country’s means, taking the pressure off the families’ budgets, creating more jobs and making work pay – this is the sort of long-term approach my father taught me, and it’s the approach this Government is taking to secure stronger economies in every corner of the country.

Published in the Birmingham Post, Friday 7th October by Jonathan Walker Riots in Birmingham, London and Manchester reflected a “something for nothing” culture encouraged by Labour, Tory chair Sayeeda Warsi tells Political Editor Jonathan Walker Sayeeda Warsi She grew up in a poor family, experienced racism at school and still remembers the hushed whispers at home when her dad lost his job. Conservative chairman Sayeeda Warsi may not sound like your typical Tory. But in some ways she’s the Conservative dream bought to life, as someone who pulled herself up by her bootstraps and made it to the top through hard work and ambition. Speaking during her party’s annual conference, she contrasted her response to the challenges she faced in life to the “something for nothing” attitude of looters who attacked shops in Birmingham, London and Manchester. And she revealed she believed Labour leader Ed Miliband had the right idea when he called for more “responsibility” in society during his own conference speech – but claimed he was “hypocritical” for failing to accept that Labour was responsible for the culture created while it was in government. She also attacked some proposed boundary changes as “mad and insane” and insisted Ministers regularly discussed ways of supporting the regions outside London around the cabinet table. Asked what she believed lay behind riots which took place across the country, Lady Warsi said it would be wrong to “make excuses” for rioters, many of whom already had criminal records before this summer’s high-profile disorder. The Muslim peer, who grew up in Yorkshire as the daughter of immigrants from Pakistan, added: “I came from a fairly poor family and it was tough. I didn’t go to a very good school and there was racism. But I didn’t think: ‘The way I can deal with all these challenges is to pinch a few shoes from Foot Locker’. “I knew I needed to get my head down, work hard, make the best of what I had and work my way out. “We have to be careful that we don’t make excuses for what is actually sometimes criminality.” But not everyone who took part in the looting was a hardened criminal. What did Lady Warsi think had led so many ordinary people to go out shoplifting? She said: “It is an overall culture, which is: ‘If you can get away with it, why not?’ “I agree with what Ed Miliband’s saying about the something for nothing culture, where people who work hard don’t get rewarded, where people who do the wrong thing seem to benefit. We were saying this in opposition, we are trying to implement it in things like our welfare reform in Government, but it’s hypocritical for Ed Miliband to be saying it – where has he been for 13 years? “He’s not a martian that’s arrived just today. He was part of this project for more than a decade.” The Government was trying to “dissect” the culture created by Labour, she said. “For example, our housing benefit reforms are saying it isn’t right that people who work hard can’t afford to live in homes that those on housing benefit can afford to have paid for by the state. “It isn’t right that single mum or dads wanting to get a part time job are going to pay 80 or 90 per cent of it back because you are not allowed to keep the extra money you earn. “It can’t be right that, if you have saved for when you are older and you then need care, that you have to sell your home to get that care. “Government has got to start rewarding right and punishing wrong.” Lady Warsi insisted that supporting inner city areas and cities such as Birmingham was a top priority for the Cabinet. Sayeeda Warsi at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester “When we sit round the cabinet table, the conversations we have are about making sure the regions are protected and making sure we support local authorities so that those with more deprived communities in their areas have a larger per head settlement.” But it was a mistake to rely on the public sector to create jobs and cut unemployment, she said. “It’s not for Government to say that the only way to create jobs is to employ people as part of the state. “Ultimately it is the private sector that has to grow to employ people.” Although the Government’s spending cuts will inevitably lead to some redundancies, she said every job lost was a “tragedy”. “I remember when Dad lost his job. And he came home and they had those hushed conversations. “You knew something was wrong. You weren’t old enough to understand but you knew you had to behave for the next many weeks because there was something wrong at home. “It is a tragedy. It changes the way in which you see so many things in life.” As party chairman, one of the headaches Lady Warsi has to deal with is the anger of Tory MPs furious at plans to redraw or tear up their constituencies. Proposals published by the Boundary Commission, as part of a Government proposal to cut the number of MPs from 650 to 600, include moving a ward out of Sutton Coldfield and into Erdington – a suggestion firmly opposed by Sutton MP Andrew Mitchell, a Conservative member of the Cabinet. Lady Warsi said: “I agree with some of my Members of Parliament that some of the proposals are mad and insane. “But we have to come back to what we are doing here. “All three parties went into the last election with a clear commitment to reduce the cost of politics, reduce the number of members of Parliament.”