I should think Tory chief whip Patrick McLoughlin will have a seizure when he reads THIS Observer profile of the Conservative candidate for Chippenham, Wilfred Emmanuel Jones - who styles himself as The Black Farmer. He's certainly, er, a character!
In the interview he calls David Cameron a 'posh git', says he doesn't like William Hague as he turned down a speaking invitation, praises George Galloway and Dennis Skinner, and says he doesn't like the whipping system. Well, you certainly couldn't accuse him of talking politician-speak.
I don't know Wilfred well but I've met him a few times. He's always fascinating to talk to and a real enthusiast.
But is this refreshing talk from a new kind of politician, or the remarks of someone who doesn't know how to be a team player?
34 comments:
I do hope the conservative party have done their homework on this candidate.
Knowing many farmers in Devon who deal with this man. I think, just like his fellow the enobled Lord Taylor? the failed candidate from Cheltenham! he is more Liberal Democrat than Conservative.
But when you have lists and local associations have little or no say in the choice of candidate, do not be surprised if it all comes back in your face.
So is his neighbour going to be the White Farmer?
Divisive, border line racist and publicity seeking.
Get rid now.
He certainly sounds like a colourful character! Parliament needs people like that.
Every week some whining politician resigns bleating about how the next Commons will be tame, dull, substandard, and beneath their dignity to attend. They should read this article. This guy could make an excellent Parliamentarian.
Doesn't sound like a Conservative in any meaningful sense to me. Mind you, neither does Zac Goldsmith...
He's always seemed passionate about farming. Not afraid of hard work.
From what I've read about him, I think he'd make a good candidate. Can't see where his views agree with Lib/Dem.
An interesting guy, but I hope he doesn't make it into parliament.
He reminds me of the attention-seeking twat Chris Eubank.
I fear though, that if he doesn't get in at Chippenham, he'll end up in the Lords like Lord Taylor who failed at Cheltenham.
However, I agree with many of his views and wish him luck with his business
Borderline racist? How, does he hate white people? From the article he came across as funny. And lets face it, the commons is a humourless place normally. Labour will hate him because they see themselves as exclusively the home of minorities. Remember them eating their collective spleen when it turned out the Tories were winning the battle for the pink vote. All we need is a headline saying 'Feminists for Cameron' and Harriet Harman will spontaneously combust!
The trouble with anybody chosen under Cameron's A-List is that you have to wonder if they are genuinely Conservatives or just opportunists. (Just remember Brian Paddick, the LidDem who was Cameron's preferred choice for Major of London, apparently chosen because he was gay rather than because he was Tory.)
Having read Black Farmers remarks in full, they are not as bad as Iain suggests. However, I'm still not able to answer the question about whether he's a Tory.
McLoughlin suggests having black people in important positions 'sends a signal' to the remainder still labouring under a sense of victimhood. I think it does just the opposite. These tokens just re-inforce the inferiority complex and suggest that you can't get on unless you have an unfair advantage (like the A-List). It also stokes white racism as they also see black people not worthy of their jobs and this so called 'positive discrimination' just angers them. Until people of all colours and creeds are seen to get on by merit and merit alone, this stigma will remain.
Strapworld: I'm a local to Chippenham and a party member who was involved in some part with the selection process. I can assure you that Wilfred won on merit and not because he was an A-lister - after whittling it down from 20 or so, in the final meeting he was up against a white, middle class local candidate (obvious choice on paper) and a high-profile white A-list woman. He won over the room, and indeed won in the first round (i.e. had over 50% of the vote). Quite an achievement.
Houdini, you really need to meet this guy. Publicity seeking, perhaps; divisive may not be the end of the world; but racist? Really... come on!
He is a loose cannon. His facebook comments indicate that he is an attention seeker. I can see him wanting to appear on TV 'reality' shows, surprised he hasn't really. That's probably why he's impressed with George Galloway.
He *is* black and he *is* a farmer! Why on earth is it racist to call himself that?
Wilfred is clearly a character but perhaps he ought to be a tiny bit careful not to go too far...
Dare I say please don't tar him with the same brush as Taylor. Chosen as a Tory PPC, his losing showed him to be anything but.
I think Wilfred (if for the name alone) will add hugely to the gaiety of the nation when elected.
If the House can tolerate the Beast, then it surely has room for this man too.
Alan Douglas
Well now, for those of you who do not shop or worry about the source of the food provisions in your kitchen, here is a link which will enlighten you re the delights of sausages and this new Tory PPC!!
http://www.sausagelinks.co.uk/producers_sow.asp?id=405
Not a new style Tory, perhaps a PR whizz, Camerons twin!
He seems akin to that dilettante self-publicist Ivan Massow of a few years ago. An unsuitable candidate.
It's about time we gave team politics the boot and started thinking about country politics.
A bit more what can I do for my country rather than toeing the party line might be a bit more welcome from the next intake at Westminster.
Or having seen where the team politics of NuLabor have got us, you are advocating the same from the Conservatives if they get elected?
Wilfred is a fine fellow and his sausages are delicious. I heard him on the radio saying that anyone who licked arse (metaphorically speaking) to gain personal advantage was corrupting their own soul. Not a "yes" man clearly, but a self made man and a trad conservative in his views of hard work, pulling oneself up by bootstraps etc etc. A very impressive dude of substance. And I don't vote Conservative. The Tories may have trouble getting him to tow the party line if the party line is stupid.
He sounds a bit of an idiot to me.
Amonymous @11.28 seems proud of his handywork.
I perhaps should remind him of the Conservative association who selected Woodward and the one who chose Quentin Davies. At least Witney then went on to select Cameron.
Certainly the electorate has always had a liking for eccentric or maverick politicians. Think of people like Leo Abse, Gwyneth Dunwoody, Frank Field, Cyril Smith, Clement Freud, Terry Dicks, Nicholas Fairbairn and of course Enoch Powell. Mainly because they weren't afraid to speak their minds!
Give me a House of Commons full of people like that, despite the "unconventional" views of some of them over the servile careerists who dominate it today!
Off Topic - but I commend Dizzy's take on the Govt claim that Birmingham will soon be suffering temperatures of 100deg C !!
http://dizzythinks.net/2009/09/miliband-predicts-birmingham-population.html
Which ever way you cut it - its a publication of astounding incompetence
Some PPCs a(those who have never stood before) are blissfully unaware that their comments will be used against them and come back to bite them if and when elected.
I can think of a few others that spend a little too much time on twitter and who love Sarah palin who indeed will cause the Chief Whip some problems once elected.
I suppose they have no idea their opponents will be logging every bit of nonesense they espouse!
He sounds like a really interesting character. I hope he gets elected.
I don't know about him as a politician, but his sausages are expensive and a bit ordinary...
On the contrary, Anon, fine, wheat free sausages, tasty and juicy. IMHO. of course
For all those who say he isn't racist, given the current climate in the UK, I was semi-tongue in cheek, but only semi.
He has singled himself out as black and a minority bucking the trend in a racist way. If a person deliberately, purely by virtue of the colour of their skin, singled them self as a white farmer you would all clamber over each other to call him a racist and white supremacist.
Why is this man different?
Parliament needs loose cannons. Country before team.
@Houdini
"The Black Farmer". "How is this man different?".
You don't go out to the countryside much do you, mate? He is marketing himself, much in the same way as "Vanilla Ice" marketed himself as a white rapper. You might think its a little trite, but its hardly racist.
Nothing Rascit about calling yourself a black farmer when you are one.
Anyway I have met him too plus I think he was on counrty file once. Very good guy
Houdini said...
"If a person deliberately, purely by virtue of the colour of their skin, singled them self as a white farmer you would all clamber over each other to call him a racist and white supremacist."
The brand name reflects the fact that the locals near his Devon farm usually referred to him as "the black farmer".
This "Team Player" stuff is actually code for shutting up, forgetting you are supposed to have views and principles of your own and letting Cameron get on with turning a once great party into a poor imitation of the worst of the Labour party.
Personally, I admire Wilfred for being his own man, having his own views and not being another Old Etonian with a superiority complex hell bent on destroying actual conservatism, even if he is borderline LibDem.
Wilfrid has seen and experienced real life; we need people like that in the Party and in Westminster. He's most certainly not an idiot, and he's used to speaking frankly and with humour.
I can also verify that his farming neighbours called him The Black Farmer, and he adopted that as a brand name.
I don't see that it's any different from calling oneself The Tall Farmer if one is 6'6", for example. Or The Ginger Farmer. It's a memorable way of differentiating oneself for commercial purposes. Nothing more.
Why on earth should people fear to refer to race (even their own!) because the socialist/fascist tendency has tried to winnow it out of public discourse? You don't have to go along with the gag, so to speak.
I think Mr Emmanuel-Jones sounds like great guy.
(I've also got a hazy memory of hearing him being interviewed on Radio 4's The Food Programme.)
Dave's verdict: A Good Egg. Hope he gets elected :)
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