'Bring back slavery' Tory is back

Published: July 29, 2010 14:30 by mark

Does slavery equate to race? Plenty of English and Scottish slaves in this country not that long ago. Gordon Brown IMF boy and The Salvation Army were drooling over Welfare to Work for the dispossessed of this Island. Yep rob you of your land and put you to work for the rich bastards. Now that is colour blind and has always used collaborateurs. It's still the rich vs the poor.

Published: July 29, 2010 14:42 by Digger

Cox was participating in a four day event along with 100 other student union officers held at the University of York. The training sessions were designed to train participants in the handling of crises and controversial situations at their universities. Along with another participant who called black students "undesireables", Cox's actions prompted a walk out by a number of black students and a subsequent NUS investigation.

Like his predecessors, Cox has no grip on the grim facts of everyday racist violence and discrimination. Apparently showing no recognition that the slave trade was one of the most disgraceful episodes in history, and that its repercussions might still be affecting race relations today, Cox claimed he was just trying to "wind up" participants at the NUS training seminar where the event took place. He now claims to be part of a "show trial that would make Stalin blush", pursued by well known communist sympathisers, the North Yorkshire Police. Cox told the Daily (Hate) Mail that "These witch-hunts have got to stop. It's about time the NUS started representing ordinary students again and stopped acting as a front for Left-wing zealots." His language is not far from that of the BNP who are always crying about being the innocent victims of plots by 'the reds' or Marxists.

Black and anti-racist campaigners who were insulted and abused by Cox's behaviour started a campaign to have him removed from his position of influence as soon as the news came through all of this. An NUS investigation into Cox's behaviour has concluded that he has breached equal opportunities guidelines and will be banned from all non-democratic NUS meetings. Having remained silent (apart from the aforementioned outburst) for 6 weeks after the incident Cox suddenly made a very late apology ( http://www.su.nottingham.ac.uk/news/article/6001/401/). Cox claimed that it was all a 'genuine mistake':

'I did not write the placard in question; I did not intentionally hold it up and I have never defended the placard's contents.'

We were supposed to believe that Craig either cannot read or is in the habit of waving placards whose content he knows nothing about.

Craig claimed to be 'someone who has consistently fought against discrimination' and brushed aside the deep offence he had caused with calls to forgive him and move on.

This 'apology' was seen as perhaps more offensive than the original statement by speakers at a meeting to discuss the anti-racist response to Craig's actions called earlier in the month. Those who are the descendants of slaves cannot simply 'move on' whilst they are taunted with with threats to revive this historic crime. Especially when those responsible for the threats are allowed to keep their jobs. If Craig had really been sorry surely the obvious course would have been to accept that he was wrong and resign?

Successful lobbying of the SU Council led to a meeting to discuss a vote of no confidence in Cox. 2000 letters in support of the motion were sent to Council members (considerably more than the 1200 votes that got him into his position in the first place). The Chair of the meeting, who is also a member of the Conservative Society and a personal friend of Cox's, decided to make it a closed meeting, so only the 60 members of the Council could debate the issue. A two-thirds majority was required to pass the motion but only one third voted for it. Cox is to remain in his post.

Students are disgusted that the SU Council has supported an individual who has deeply insulted black people and attacked his own union. He is reputed to be a careerist who is using his position as an exec member to further his political ambitions within the Tory party, and therefore unlikely to resign. The sham democracy of Nottingham Students Union has failed its members once again.

Published: July 29, 2010 20:36 by Dirt monkey

Check out the video - fucking hilarious: http://theblueguerilla.blogspot.com/2010/07/criag-cox-launches-cf-bid.html

Published: July 29, 2010 21:55 by More important things to worry about

A foolish teenager does something offensive. Is he to be condemned for life? Should he sign the sex offender's register? Have his pension cancelled? Have you never done something wrong, stupid, or offensive?

Move on, nothing to see here any more.

Published: July 30, 2010 10:21 by not a racist

he was hardly a teenager! most people are expected to have grown up before they take on positions of responsibility. this was hardly a bit of edgy comedy - it was the expression of an ill-informed and racist world view. i can't imagine you'd be saying these same things in cox's defence if his placard had said 'bring back gas chambers' but the historical significance is fairly similar. only someone who has no sense of black people's humanity would make a comment like that.

that this is the kind of person who the tories seem to be promoting as one of their future stars speaks volumes about the kind of party they are.

Published: July 30, 2010 20:12 by More important things to worry about

Does his offence deserve a life sentence? That is the issue here, not the original offence which has been dealt with.

Published: July 30, 2010 20:18 by not a racist

"Craig claimed to be 'someone who has consistently fought against discrimination' and brushed aside the deep offence he had caused with calls to forgive him and move on.

This 'apology' was seen as perhaps more offensive than the original statement by speakers at a meeting to discuss the anti-racist response to Craig's actions called earlier in the month."