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'We do not tolerate racism, prejudice, or any discrimination,' says Tory chair

Amanda Milling says the Conservatives are currently undertaking review of their complaints process

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Conservative Party chair Amanda Milling has told the JC of her determination to use her role at the helm of the party to “reach out to all minority communities” in the UK.

Ms Milling insisted: “We do not tolerate racism, prejudice, or any discrimination at all.”

The 45-year-old parliamentarian also attempted to downplay concern that the departure of Dominic Cummings and his co-adviser Lee Cain from the Tory Party was a sign of mounting problems in Boris Johnson’s government.

“It is fair to say that it is not uncommon for advisers to change and staff to change — that goes on in government all the time,” she said. “I can assure you that the Prime Minister is 100 per cent committed to delivering on that manifesto which saw us get that fantastic election result and that majority.

“Advisers advise, minsters decide. At the end of the day the Prime Minister is in charge — he was the one that got us that election victory last year.

“We will be driving forwards with enthusiasm on those manifesto commitments and delivering on them over the next four years.”

Ms Milling has enjoyed a rapid rise through the Tory ranks since winning the Cannock Chase seat in Staffordshire in 2015, and was appointed deputy chief whip last July at a time when then party leader Boris Johnson was faced with extreme challenges over the prorogation of Parliament ahead of the December General Election.

Rewarded for her achievements in helping Mr Johnson into power by being made co-chairman alongside Ben Elliot, Ms Milling has been quick to criticise the Labour opposition’s repeated failures on antisemitism.

She says we have just witnessed an “appalling situation” with the decision to allow Jeremy Corbyn back into the party and says Sir Keir Starmer has shown a failure of leadership by being “too slow” to remove the whip from the ex-leader.

But Ms Milling is not afraid to address criticism around racism issues in her own party.

“Where cases do come to us, they are investigated through our complaints process,” she says. “As you may be aware we are currently undertaking an independent complaints process looking at prejudice and discrimination being overseen by Professor Swaran Sing. He is currently gathering evidence and we will hear back in due course. It is important that this is a through issue.”

Asked about her own experience with the Jewish community, Ms Milling reveals that she spent a lot of time in Liverpool with the Jewish relatives of her ex-husband.

She adds: “One of the things in this party is making sure we reach out to all minority communities.

“That includes the Jewish community, so I’ve met the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies.

“One of my first overseas visits as a parliamentarian was to Israel with the Conservative Friends of Israel. It was the first time I’d been, a real privilege, especially in terms of the digital and technology stuff. And the medical innovation. It was fascinating to see all aspects of the country.”

Ms Milling had grown up in Burton upon Trent, and went on to study Economics and Statistics at University College London. She worked as a statistical researcher, largely in the financial services sector, before deciding to embark on a political career as a councillor in 2009.

She credits her “accelerated experience” in politics both down to her ability to understand people as a result of the focus groups she took part before she entered politics, as well as the fact she was at the heart of things during the Referendum vote, the 2017 election and for Brexit.

“It was a fascinating time to be in politics and being in the whips office before being appointed co-chairman,” she says.

Now in the chair’s role she vows to continue with her push to make it even more representative of the UK community. “Look at the party now — it has evolved so much,” she says. “I think it’s fantastic, to see more women, more ethnic minority MPs.

“When people look at our party they can see we do represent the country.”

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