| Page 3 of 3 < |
Europeans Foresee Their Own Obama Emerging One Day
|
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
In Britain, Trevor Phillips, the black head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, triggered a national debate in recent days when he said that the British political system was mired in "institutional racism."
"If Barack Obama had lived here, I would be very surprised if even somebody as brilliant as him would have been able to break the institutional stranglehold that there is on power within the Labor Party," Phillips told the Times newspaper.
After those comments caused a storm of criticism, Phillips said he was simply trying to say that it is difficult for any nontraditional candidates, including minorities, to break into the British political system.
Many have noted that unlike in the United States, where a newcomer such as Obama can be elected president, the British parliamentary system normally requires years of slow, deliberate ladder-climbing within political parties. Even Tony Blair, who was elected prime minister at the remarkably young age of 43, had served 14 years in Parliament.
"There is still work to be done, but it is getting better," Grant, the black female Parliament hopeful, said in an interview, adding that there is starting to be more acceptance of veering away from old stereotypes.
Grant, who will run in the next national elections, which must be held by May 2010, said that when she campaigns door-to-door in her affluent, mostly white district, "people are very pleased to see me."
"The British electorate are very sophisticated and believe fundamentally in fairness and merit," she said. "Britain is ready for a black prime minister, providing that the right candidate turns up."
Correspondents Edward Cody in Paris and Craig Whitlock in Berlin contributed to this report.
