Cameron’s Black Tory!

I have to admit I have never heard of Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones until he made it on David Cameron’s A-List). Like many I was shocked when Chippenham constituency, a rural Wiltshire seat, selected him as their Prospective Parliamentary Candidate. At the time there were all sorts of roomers about what he wore and how he conducted the interview and lost of drama as you would expect when an overwhelmingly white marginal constituency in middle England selects a black Jamaican born school drop out.

But Will [I’m allowed to call him that since we are chums now] is an inspiration to all immigrants, especially young boys and girls – it teaches them that they can achieve their dreams even without formal schooling. He is a self made millionaire who owns and runs the successful food brand, ‘The Black Farmer’.

Catching up on Cameron’s Black Tory which I missed on Sunday, it was clear that Will is a very hard worker who put his all into winning Chippenham. It was also very clear that he is not a typical politician [but contrary to roomers he did not go to his final interview in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt either]. The program was a good factual documentary that followed him for four years, it gave a glimpse at what the road to parliament can be like. But it mostly broke a few myths about race attitudes and relations in rural England.

However, one thought provoking remark stayed with me – “… by being black it was easier to succeed in rural England than it would have been in an urban place like Islington”. Interesting!

Wilfred Emmanuel – Jones is a great asset to the Tory party and Chippenham constituency and they should seriously consider readopting him for the next election whenever that might be. It will give them both a chance to finish what they started.