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Tories show their true colours voting to end mother tongue funding |
"I am utterly disgusted at the behaviour of the Tory councillors at tonight's full council meeting, when they voted to end mother tongue funding," said a furious Abjol Miah, Respect Group leader on Tower Hamlets Council. "They have singled out the Bangladeshi community in Tower Hamlets for attack. I wonder if any Tory councillor consulted with any of their Bangladeshi members. I don't think their Bangladeshi members would have given this any support had they known this was what the Tory councillors planned."
The funding of mother tongue studies for 500 young people in Tower Hamlets is fully justified in terms of promoting their self-esteem and real community cohesion.
Mother tongue funding is just £719,000 of the council's annual budget but makes a huge difference to the educational opportunities, the self-confidence and prospects of many young people from the BME communities in Tower Hamlets.
Not only does it show the respect for Tower Hamlets diverse communities which has been a central feature of the history of Tower Hamlets council, it promotes literacy and raises educational attainment.
The attack on mother tongue funding left the Tories completely isolated on the council and subject to withering attack from all the other parties.
Abjol Miah, who is Respect's candidate for Bethnal Green and Bow in the general election, continued: "This exposes the rancid under-belly of these Conservatives. They tried to pretend they were interested in the less well off and minorities but this was just a facade. We always knew they would expose themselves, I just didn't expect it to be so soon.
"They have shown their hypocrisy at turning up to 21st February International Language Day to try to get cheap popularity then to do this tonight. I am particularly disgusted they were joined by their newest recruit Ahmed Hussain in this insult to the Bangladeshi community in Tower Hamlets.
"However, we can't let New Labour off the hook," continued Councillor Miah. "New Labour are capitulating every day to the Islamophobic press and the fear the Tories will play the race card.
"They are doing it on immigration, the so-called war on terror and on many other issues. We need to fight this appalling agenda set by the likes of the Sun and stand up for our principles of equality, fairness and justice." |
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