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Two years after the launch of the Sikh Federation
(UK) and on the eve
of our third Convention on Sunday 11 September
at Guru Nanak Sikh
Gurdwara, Sedgley Street, Wolverhampton we are
delighted to announce
that we are making excellent progress in forming
a partnership with
all the mainstream political parties.
Following the General Election we have been pivotal
in the setting up
of the first All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG)
for UK Sikhs. We
were pleased when the leaders of the Scottish
National Party (Alex
Salmond MP) and Plaid Cymru (Elfyn Llwyd MP) agreed
to our request to
join leading representatives of the three mainstream
parties to
become Vice-Chairs of the APPG for UK Sikhs.
We have also had meetings with the Labour Party
Chairman Rt Hon. Ian
McCartney MP to ensure practising Sikhs who are
articulate and
properly qualified are given every opportunity
to be elected as MPs
and enter the House of Lords. We have also made
a major breakthrough
with establishing a working relationship with
the Mayor of London and
are pleased to announce he will be hosting the
first ever Sikh
Identity Conference on 29 November at City Hall.
The key message that will be given at the Convention
at the weekend
will be:
In the last few years Sikhs have increased their
political activism
at a local and national level. However, it is
now time for Sikhs,
especially the younger generation, to join mainstream
political
parties and participate to establish representation
at the highest
levels. Our hope is Sikhs will convert their excellent
reputation and
increased political activism into positive community
action through
greater political representation for Sikhs over
the next decade.
Our shared aim is to strengthen the Sikh voice
in Parliament and with
Government.
Yours sincerely
Amrik Singh
Chair, Sikh Federation (UK)
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CONSERVATIVE LETTER:-
FRANCIS MAUDE MP
CHAIRMAN OF THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY
The Conservative Party welcomes more Sikhs as
Party Members
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh
Sikhs whether as individuals, families or working
together as a
community have contributed immensely to modern
Britain.
We welcome increased political activism by British
Sikhs in recent
years and warmly encourage Sikhs to engage in
the mainstream of
British political life.
Sikh values of family, community, service to others
and self reliance
are the values of the Conservative Party. With
such shared common
ground, I believe that the Conservative Party
is your natural
political home.
Joining the Conservative Party is easy. You can
do so online by
visiting www.conservatives.com or by telephoning
08705 29 30 31.
Alternatively you can also join your local Conservatives
(their
details will be in the telephone directory or
via
www.conservatives.com).
On behalf of the Conservative Party may I wish
all of you best wishes
for the National Sikh Convention and also thank
the Sikh Federation
(UK) for all of thier hard work.
The Rt Hon Francis Maude MP
Chairman of the Conservative Partyheir hard work.
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LIBERAL DEMOCRATS LETTER
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh
At this time of the National Sikh Convention,
and as President of the
Liberal Democrats, I send warmest greetings from
me and from our
party.
Liberal Democrats have a good record of attending
the convention. My
colleagues Liz Lynne MEP, John Hemming, the new
MP for Birmingham
Yardley and Parmjit Singh Gill, previously the
MP for Leicester
South, have all attended in recent years and I
and others look
forward to attending in the future.
Members of the Sikh community have sadly found
themselves the victims
of hate crimes, and in recent periods of increased
tension Sikhs in
Britain are particularly more vulnerable than
before. Liberal
Democrats always fight hard to defend civil liberties
and uphold
human rights. We reaffirm our commitment to all
the Sikh community to
do this for them and for all other communities
in the UK.
It is of course important that Sikhs play a full
part in public life.
Our party is now welcoming more and more Sikh
members. I hope that
our commitment to internationalism, to civil liberties,
and to a
fairer Britain will encourage many more Sikhs
to join us and to stand
for office as councillors or as Parliamentarians.)
Best Wishes
Simon Hughes MP
President of the Liberal Democrats |
