Brit Tory couple outraged at suspension over posting pictures with golliwog dolls on Facebook
March 23rd, 2011 - 5:05 pm ICT by ANI
Washington, Mar 23 (ANI): A Tory couple, who were considered prospective councillors, have resigned from the Conservative Party after being suspended for posting pictures of themselves holding golliwog dolls on Facebook.
The Daily Mail quoted Bill and Star Etheridge, who campaign against political correctness, as saying that they were trying to promote a ‘healthy debate’ about whether the doll was a racist symbol.
Forty-one-year-old Bill, who along with his wife was supposed to contest in the Dudley Council elections in May, has now reportedly joined UKIP because he believes that his views are not being respected by the Conservative Party.
“We just wanted to stimulate debate and gollies are a perfect example of an innocent child’s toy that’s been transformed into something sinister by the politically correct brigade. We need to get back to a point where people can say what they think and not live in fear. That’s real democracy,” he said.
The couple was asked to remove the photos a few days before Christmas by the Dudley North Conservative Association because they feared that the pictures could be used against the couple, to which the had agreed reluctantly.
An anonymous colleague, however, complained to the party about them, and a disciplinary committee suspended them. Outraged at their treatment, the couple resigned as members.
Meanwhile, 39-year-old Star Etheridge said that she and her husband had wanted to promote debate, not cause offence.
‘It’s just a child’s toy and the politically correct brigade are the ones who have turned it into a racist symbol. I grew up in Bury in Lancashire, so I have a lot of black and Asian friends and as children we had golly dolls and we never once thought of them as racist,” She said.
She added that the incident is an example that shows David Cameron had gone back on his party’s pledge to curb political correctness.
A Conservative Party spokesman had earlier said that the duo was suspended following a complaint by members of the voluntary party in the area. (ANI)
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