ON May 7, British voters are going to the polls to elect a new government to lead the country in the next five years. The competition is between Labour and the Conservatives, while UKIP, riding high on anti-immigration policies, seems to be taking the third place, usually occupied by the Liberal Democrats.
Labour generally appeals to the working class, lower class and ethnic minorities while the Tories on the other hand traditionally enjoys support from the middle class, businesspeople and affluent communities. A BBC Poll of Polls this week is putting Labour and the Conservatives neck on neck at 34 percent.
Although most Zimbabweans and immigrants are in the minority, our votes will also make a difference: they can be decisive on who forms the next government.
But as much as this is a British election, the outcome of the election will affect many people, many countries, and Zimbabwe as well.
To begin with, the Labour Party messed up the relations between Zimbabwe and Britain.
On February 22 2015, Boris Johnson (the Mayor of London), in his article: “Happy birthday, Mr Mugabe, with special love from Labour,” highlights how this happened.
“The British government agreed to fund the arrangement, compensating the former colonial farmers for land that they gave up. Under that arrangement the white farmers were able to survive – more or less; Zimbabwe remained economically viable – more or less. And then in 1997, along came Tony Blair and New Labour, and in a fit of avowed anti-colonialist fervour they unilaterally scrapped the arrangement. The Overseas Development Minister, Clare Short, made it clear that neither she nor Blair gave a stuff about the former colonial farmers. As she put it at the time: “I should make it clear that we do not accept that Britain has a special responsibility to meet the costs of land purchase in Zimbabwe. We are a new government from diverse backgrounds, without links to former colonial interests. My own origins are Irish and, as you know, we were colonised not colonisers” (Boris Johnson, in The Telegraph, 22 February 2015).
Of course I don’t agree with some of the things he [Boris] said as they seem to border on arrogance and racism.
So how are some of the Zimbabweans living in UK going to vote in May?
As an ethnic minority and a single mother, it feels natural to vote for Labour, as I have always done; but this year if I go to the polls, I am more likely to vote for the Liberal Democrats.
Masimba Musodza (Middlesbrough): “I will vote for a Tory MP and an Independent candidate (Andy Preston) for Mayor. If you see some of Andy Preston’s campaign posters, my photograph is on them. I like Tories to win the general election because I agree with their domestic and foreign policies. For example, they encourage people to work; they don’t reward laziness like Labour. What does Labour do? They dish out benefits to lazy people; their policies encourage families to break up and children, especially black children, to grow up in single-parent families. There are about a million fathers in this country, all races, who have no access to their own children because of these Labour policies that are screwed up. Labour wants to be the father in the house. Labour policies promote multiculturalism; which I see as supporting separatism. Different races live alongside but they don’t integrate. On the other hand, Tories are saying, if you want to live here, to become a British Citizen, then speak English and respect our values. To me that promotes integration. I don’t understand why many ethnic minorities fall for Labour policies. Kana tikapihwa ma flats [ne Labour], nefunding yekuita mareggae festival, tofara toti zviri ku fire muBritain! Kana zvichifire pihwaka basa! Why mabenefits asina chaanobatsira?
On Zimbabwe, I think the Tories are better with Zimbabwe. They have worked with Zimbabwe for a very long time. Zimbabwe is a conservative country; we encourage family values and hard work. So our Zimbabwean policies go hand in hand with Conservative policies!”
Jerry Mwanza, from Malawi (based in Nottingham): “I am voting Labour on 7 May. I like their principles. They are for the British majority, unlike the Tories who are for the British minority. I don’t agree with all the Labour policies, but I would rather have a Labour government than a Tory government come next May. I don’t agree with the way the Tories privatise state resources. So for me it’s Labour. Labour is more welcoming to immigrants.”
Peter M (Cambridge): I am more sympathetic to the Conservatives. They have done a great job with the economy, which had been messed up by Labour. Labour policies are too rhetoric, influenced by populist policies which don’t help the economy. They make too many promises; if you attend their meetings unonzwa kunakirwa nezvinenge zvichitaurwa, but when it comes to delivery, there is very little. Tories are business minded. Labour left a very huge budget deficit, which has been sorted out by these Tory guys. I would have voted Labour if David Miliband was the Labour leader. Uyu mupfana wake ane background yeTrade Union. They supported him to win against his brother. I don’t trust Trade Unionists with the economy. On foreign policy and relations with Zimbabwe, I prefer the Tories. We got our independence from the Tories under Margaret Thatcher. She said no one was leaving the Lancaster House without reaching an agreement. AnaSmith vakamboda kuita boycott vakanzi hapana kwamunoenda, kusvika vaiswa mukona vakazobvuma. So for me, it’s Tories.”
Mugove (Birmingham): “I am not a politics person. I am 44 but I have only voted twice in my life; once in Zimbabwe and once here. I voted Labour. I don’t think I will go out to vote. What I don’t like about Labour is their system of rewarding people who don’t want to go to work. I work hard every day but I drive a battered car while some people on benefits drive brand new cars. But when it comes to immigration I prefer Labour because they gave us visas to live and work in this country so that we contribute to the economy. The Tories are good with the economy, yes, and they encourage people to work, which is good for the economy. So yeah, if I am to vote, I will vote Labour but more likely I won’t bother myself. All politicians are the same. There is not much difference. But if I do, maybe I will vote Labour. I am not familiar with the relationship between Britain and Zimbabwe, or what happened, because I am not interested in politics.”
Jimmy M (Hertfordshire): “I was a traditional Labour supporter, have always voted Labour in the past elections. But this year I will vote the Tories for one good reason; I am a very hardworking person, same as my wife. We work hard and contribute a lot towards the Inland Revenue taxes. Our son started university recently. He is not getting any grants from the state; yet his mates, whose parents are not working, are getting grants of up to £3 500 every term, about £10 000 per year! Wangu ane vabereki vanoshanda hapana chaari kuwana. We are supporting him financially. So you see, some of these Labour policies encourage people to be unemployed. That is why I will vote Tories.
As far as Zimbabwe is concerned, I think the Britain-Zimbabwe problem has dragged for a long time. It depends on an individual leader and not a particular party.”