TECHNOLOGY MILLIONAIRE ADAM AFRIYIE became the first Black MP in the history of the Conservative party last week. The 39 year-old secured a majority in excess of 10,000 to win in Windsor, one of Britain's wealthiest constituencies.

Despite Oona King’s unceremonious unseating in East London, Afriyie's arrival in the House, along with Labour’s Dawn Butler, will restore to five the total of Black MPs. Maybe they didn’t storm in with the gusto of Bernie Grant, Diane Abbott and Paul Boateng back in 1987, but at least they got in. The big question is can the Black electorate look to any of them to champion our causes over the next five years? 
WE SAID: Diane Abbott is the most long-standing Black MP. She was branded a leftie in her early days, but her tub-thumping days could well be over. She’s dodged a few controversies in her time, (the influx of foreign nurses and choosing a school for her only child), but is still on the party executive and has some influence. Now enjoying life on the sofa with former Tory MP Michael Portillo in a well established post-Newsnight BBC television slot, don’t expect Abbott to go ruffling feathers. Although still popular among her constituents (Hackney North & Stoke Newington), too many television appearances have turned her more regal than rebel. YOU SAID: 4/10 “…never heard of Diane standing up for anything or anyone other than herself and her views.”
WE SAID: Junior culture minister David Lammy was described as the Black Tony Blair in the run-up to elections. Yes, he’s an up and coming young star who, when allowed to will be heard. Not quite cut from the same cloth as the late great Bernie Grant or as career focussed as Paul Boateng, he looks set for the long but sensible haul. A dark horse, this London boy who used to work in KFC (or was it McDonald’s) is one to be watched as he may just surprise and shock. Is known to be a sounding board for many senior Labourites. YOU SAID:  7/10 “…had a bit of trouble when deputising on the front bench, but stands his corner and looks like he's going places.”
WE SAID: Mark Hendrick is a former electrical engineer turned college lecturer, turned MEP. He is very much a constituency man who spoke up against cuts to local army regiments and against the war in Iraq. Maybe not one to leap noisily off the back benches but he secured over 50% in his Preston constituency with a 9,000 vote cushion, which shows that he is locally focussed. YOU SAID:  4/10 “…never heard of him so he must have a very low national profile for a politician. He must be big in his own area to have secured a decent win.”
WE SAID: Dawn Butler is the player selected to win and hold former chief secretary to the Treasury Paul Boateng’s old seat Brent South. Boateng the first Black MP appointed to the cabinet stepped down and is expected to become high commissioner to South Africa, so if Butler plays her cards right she could be heading for bigger brighter and better things. She is a former GMB union officer responsible for trade union and political staff. At 35 years old she’s also well versed in political ways, but will need time to settle into Parliament. She had Kingsley Abrams engineering her selection campaign, so she must be tough. Managing to maintain the Labour majority in this current political climate proves she could deliver. YOU SAID:  5/10 “…never heard of her, but as a strong Black women she’ll want to be, and probably will be heard.”
WE SAID: In becoming a Tory Party MP Adam Afriyie the multi-millionaire businessman has succeeded where Lord Taylor failed, albeit a decade later. That Black people traditionally vote Tory had little to do with the 39 year-olds’ rise, and he didn’t scrape in either. He won with over 11,000 votes to spare and looks like he could be destined for the big time. Despite riding anti-immigration ticket the Tories reportedly fronted almost 40 Black prospective parliamentary candidates this time round, so for Afriyie to have come through and be gifted the relatively safe Windsor seat and hold it with a rather large majority, does mean he’s doing something right. Perhaps it’s a little too early to give him real responsibility, but rest assured any party that has no scruples about touting an anti-immigration policy will not shy away from shoving their one and only Black member of parliament into the forefront. Watch this space. YOU SAID:  8/10 “…hopefully this guy isn’t a mouth with no trousers. He looks determined, although looks can deceive.”
* Elsewhere in politics Baroness Valerie Amos of Brondesbury will continue in her role as Leader of the House of Lords despite suggestions that like Paul Boateng she’d be beating a quiet retreat. Oona King on the other hand was left licking her wounds after George Galloway on an anti-war ticket unseated her in East London. King towed party line and voted in favour of the Iraq war angering her constituents many of whom are Muslim.