A personal word from Keith.
As Chairman of the HR & Equalities Scrutiny Committee I am always aware of the importance of choosing my words carefully. That is one reason I have little sympathy for Carol Thatcher in this week's latest BBC controversy.
Whatever it's historical origins the use of the word "Golliwog", especially when referring to a black man, is offensive and smacks of denigration due to colour. To use it in a room full of BBC lefties and a "right on" Jo Brand shows either extremely poor judgement or an excess of Green Room hospitality. Her failure to then make a full apology rather than try to pass it off as a joke compounds the offense as jokes like that should have been buried along with Bernard Manning.
The Conservative Party is working hard to encourage black and Asian membership and this kind of affair affects the way people think of us and works against us in trying to persuade the nation that we are an inclusive party who require only that a member be a Conservative whatever their origins.
