Dowden hails ‘large and growing’ Jewish community as he condemns claims UK is racist
Tory chair used speech to the Heritage Foundation to rally against 'woke' ideas and 'cancel culture', in addition to the accusation that the UK's institutions are racist
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden has raised the example of the “large and growing” Jewish and Hindu community living in his Hertsmere constituency as he criticised claims UK society is structurally racist.
Dowden had flown to America to give a speech to the Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington DC on Monday – in which he called for Conservatives in the US and UK to fight “woke” ideology and safeguard freedom.
After giving his speech – in which he criticised a left-wing fixation with alleged divisive issues and with “cancel culture” – the Tory MP was quizzed in further detail about his views.
Dowden was asked what the British government was doing in terms of combating the rise critical race theory (CRT) – a school of thought which suggests social institutions are structurally riddled with racism.
He said “it was very important” that the UK government “challenged” CRT which he said “created divisions when they were not there in the first place.”
The MP then said that “democracy, free speech, rule of law” had made Britain “a great country to live and work in – and that is why it is essential we counter this.”
Dowden then continued: “I see this in my own constituency. It is wonderful that we are such an open and welcoming society.
“I have a massive and growing British Hindu community and… I have a large and growing Jewish community, many of whom escaped persecution.
“People come generation after generation to the UK and to the US to seek protection.
“For that in turn to be characterised as some sort of racist construct is perverse.”
Monday’s Heritage Foundation event was titled; The Threat To Democracy: Defeated Cancel Culture By Defending The Values Of The Free World.
Dowden was the first Tory Party chairman to speak in Washington for two decades and is expected to be in charge of writing his party’s election manifesto.
During his speech he spoke of his concern that “irrational introspection” with Britain’s past – including objections to statues connected to slavery – was something neither this country or the US could “afford the luxury of indulging in this painful woke psychodrama.”
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