In a move somewhat eclipsed by other news in the closing days of the referendum campaign, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi woke up and realised she was – again – in the wrong camp. The Conservative peer had declared herself a Brexit supporter – along with other members on the right wing of the Tory Party such as controversial Minister of State for Employment Priti Patel MP.
The breaking point for Baroness Warsi, one of the few Muslim peers, was the UKP poster headed “breaking point” alongside a picture of a line of black and Asian people queuing up to enter Europe.
The “leave” campaign was spreading “lies and xemophbia”, she told reporters. This is the puzzling part. Had Baroness Warsi not realised she was campaigning with a group of politicians who were playing the race card? Had she not realised that, as a woman of Asian heritage, she was giving them credibility as they stirred up a “leave” vote on the basis of the UK having too many immigrants?
If she had been naieve about the racism in the “leave” camp when she was in it, she could have been under no doubt once she had left, as a deluge of that “hate and xamophobia” was turned on her. Racist and Islamophobic abuse flooded in to her via social media. The baroness responded by sharing screenshots of the abuse, naming them as “The vile reaction of people unhappy with my decision to leave Leave.” She went on to say that “politics of hate must stop.” It is shame she did not come to this conclusion before she spent so many weeks promoting them, then.
Unfortunately, it’s not the first time Baroness Warsi has adopted the “too little, too late” approach. In 2014 she was part of the Cameron Government that sold arms to Israel, before realising that they were being used to attack Palestinians and resigning. Doh!
•Read up on Baroness Warsi’s career-move resignation two years ago: http://eastlondonnews.co.uk/warsi-safety-in-numbers/
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