Source: The Guardian

BY Ajay Jagota

In January I took the heart-wrenching decision to resign as chair of South Shields Conservative Association. It was a difficult moment. My parents came to Britain from India in the 50s. My father worked as a coalminer for 40 years. I was born here and we were a typical “working-class family”. My father has been a Labour supporter all his life like so many first-generation immigrants, so it was a surprise to both my parents when I joined the Conservative party.

But they were so proud when I was elected chairman of my local association. I have always been so grateful for the opportunities made available to me here, and I often reflect on how my life might have turned out had my father not embarked his arduous journey to these shores.

Of course, I experienced racism while growing up. That was par for the course, and I thought I had left it largely behind. I never thought that, in 2019, I would experience what I can only describe as institutional racism.