Diversity training is offered to Conservative candidates for the next parliamentary election to address ‘white resentment’ and ‘unconscious biases’, a media report said.
Workshops are offered on the party’s online training platform where aspiring MPs are also given a list of terminologies and their definitions to study, The Telegraph reported.
The training material describes unconscious bias as discrimination against a group or a person without being aware of actions. According to it, mispronunciation of names is also an 'unconscious bias'.
The lessons say white resentment is a “significant problem” for ethnic minorities.
There are references to microaggressions, such as asking a black colleague “are you able to sit out in the sun as long without any sun cream?” and “why does your hair not look like ours?”
Conservative candidates are also offered online lessons on emotional intelligence, self-responsibility, social media best practices, being resilient and building a team.
The Telegraph report said the candidates are given videos and slides and are then quizzed on what they have learnt.
For instance, there is a statement: “Your organisation can recruit from a wider talent pool and gain a broader perspective by promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace”. The candidates should answer if the statement is true or false - the correct answer being “true”.
The lessons also encourage the candidates to use gender-neutral words like “they” and “their” and to follow good practices “to ensure everyone is treated equally”.
“A requirement to conform to white British cultural practices, such as anglicising names in the workplace” is part of “a system of domination and oppression”, a lesson states.
Conservative Way Forward chief executive Ed Barker reacted to the training by saying he hoped it could be “stopped immediately”.
“Otherwise, we’ll have a whole new generation of Conservative candidates who think this is normal,” he said.
Aspiring Tory MPs offered lessons on ‘white resentment’
The training material says mispronunciation of names is also an ‘unconscious bias’.
Dharavi slum in Mumbai
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)