Some 24% of Booker Rising's readers originate from outside the U.S. or U.S. military bases, with Britain as the number two non-U.S. country. David Cameron, the Conservative Party leader and likely next British Prime Minister (given poll results) after the expected May 6 parliamentary elections, pens an op-ed for The Guardian. He argues that the Tories will tackle racial inequalities by addressing what many black Brits want: a start in business: "A new Conservative government must do better [than the current Labour Party government]. I want to take down the barriers that prevent so many black people realising their potential. In part, we'll do this through our core reform agenda. By tackling the causes of poverty, like poor schooling, family breakdown, addiction and welfare dependency, we can succeed where Labour has failed. But we won't just rely on across-the-board measures to boost social mobility. We'll introduce concerted action to overcome the racial barriers that exist in Britain today. One of the most obvious is when it comes to starting a business: Conservatives have always believed that enterprise is a powerful catalyst for social mobility. However, too many black people in Britain today are being denied the opportunity to start their own business and get on in life."
He continues his commentary: "This is not because of a lack of aspiration. Research has shown that almost a third of black people in England want to start their own business, compared with just 9% of the white population. However, only 4% of black people do manage to launch a startup – a level lower than any other ethnic group. Accessing finance and advice are the key challenges for would-be black entrepreneurs. According to one study, black entrepreneurs are four times more likely to be denied a bank loan outright than white entrepreneurs, while the UK Survey of Small and Medium Enterprises shows that as many as a quarter of black entrepreneurs report problems in accessing finance. A Conservative government will help tackle these barriers by turning Labour's failing welfare schemes into a radical plan to get Britain working. This will include funding for a national mentoring programme for black people who want to start a business. It will provide would-be black entrepreneurs with the targeted support, advice – and, crucially, role models – they need to access finance and work for themselves."
More: "I've always believed that role models are incredibly important. You only have to look at how children copy their parents to see how big an impact role models can have. That's why I've worked so hard to get more black and ethnic minority Conservative party candidates. But increasing the diversity of our parliamentary candidates is not just about getting our house in order. It too is also about role models. We've selected successful black entrepreneurs – people like Sam Gyimah, Wilfred Emmanuel Jones and Helen Grant – as our candidates: not in Labour-held inner city seats, but in Surrey, Wiltshire and Kent. They'll help inspire a new generation of black people to take on the world. So a Conservative government will tackle the racial barriers in Labour's Britain. We'll bring new energy to the task of building a country where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed, irrespective of the colour of their skin."
Booker Rising response: Today Mr. Cameron (who is a member of Parliament) went into Labour territory, going into the working-class London area of Peckham in a bid to get a sizeable share of the black vote. More specifically, black folks who are or aspire to be entrepreneurs (1/3 of black Brits want to start a business). FYI, thanks to a nifty David Cameron poster generator (which was originally intended for a satirical purpose), I was able to craft the above image.
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David Cameron: "Hello, Bookeristas. As Conservative Party Leader, I'm Working Overtime On How We'll Change Black Britain Through Entrepreneurship"
