Thanks for this article Amar and a thoughtful and well researched piece. I can confirm as I have publicly stated before that any mainstream Party that does not reflect the wider community is doomed to fail. As a Prospective Mayoral Candidate for the Liberal Democrats for London, I have also been publicly vocal on this and it is a red line issue.

I can tell you that I will be informing, engaging with and holding to account the new leader, whoever he or she is and there will be no let up in ensuring that Lib Dem Parliamentarians are made up of a mix of communities from Turkish speaking right the way through to Eastern European, Asian and African Caribbean groups.

I have been in the Party nearly 10 years and progress has been painfully slow. It is however, up to those of us who really want to see a change, to facilitate those wheels so that we move in the right direction.

The LibDems are very pro-EU. Many British Asian businesspeople are badly affected by the ridiculous amount of bureaucracy and the effort to be spent in complying with unnecessary legislation.

We are also not European. The British system is not perfect, but it is renowned throughout the world for being relatively fair and freedom loving. Sarah Ludford MEP has rightly drawn attention to the dangers of totalitarian measures like fingerprint databases.

ID cards also seem to have links with the type of European population databases being planned. The Liberal Democrats should be leading a public outcry against this type of thing.

It's not only the Muslim community that are concerned about the war, Guantanamo, anti-terror legislation, many others are too, and those others have stopped voting Labour neither do they vote Tory because they would be just as bad if not worse.There is a growing discontent with the EU and the growing Eurosuper state. We need a party in Britian that puts Human Rights, poverty reduction, decent living wages, defend public housing, defend and reinvigorate our fishing and agricultural industries (even if it means getting out of the EU) no to identity cards, the end to privatisation, re-nationalisation of transport, and Real Democracy not corporate democracy at the top of their agenda. Have the Lib Dems got the guts? This is what the majority of us want. That's why most of us don't even vote because no Party represents our views.

There is a large number of people who are fed up with Labour and Tory but no party represents our views. That is, no to identiy cards, re-nationalise our transport, end privatisation, decent living wages, reinvigorate our fishing and agriculture, (even if it means leaving the EU), standing up to the EU and its Euro super state agenda, supporting human rights, against Guantanamo bay, against war, repeal of anti-terror/ anti civil liberties legislation. Have the Lib Dems got the guts?

"But crucial to all of this should be a solid plan to get more non-white politicians involved with the party. "

This is the problem with political correctness; let's make the parties who should govern this country into an ethnic rainbow! Yipee, let's get Somalians, Poles and even perhaps some Aborigines in there! Then we can all hold hands and sing John Lennon songs in Parliament.

My view is that people should not be entitled to play a role in the governance on the country on the basis of colour and only the most intelligent, the most 'just' and most able should be given this task. Clearly, if you are 'just' then you will uphold the rights of minorities regardless of your own origins.

"I can confirm as I have publicly stated before that any mainstream Party that does not reflect the wider community is doomed to fail."

The reverse is true too, a party reflecting all the minorities is likely to fail too, as each argues with the other to drive forward their own agenda instead of governing the country. Seriously chaps, let's grow up a bit and take a broader view of things instead of worrying about Turkish speakers joining the party.

"We need a party in Britian that puts … end to privatisation, re-nationalisation of transport, and Real Democracy not corporate democracy"

Are you a Communist?

"Anon" said: " The reverse is true too, a party reflecting all the minorities is likely to fail too, as each argues with the other to drive forward their own agenda instead of governing the country"
What planet are you on?

So British born ethnic minorities are not capable of becoming part of 'Real Democracy'? Hundreds of ethnic minorities are already elected to local councils up and down the country, and playing a role in local democracy. This pluralism at local government level needs to be reflected at Parliamentary level. 100 years ago, people like you were predicting doom and gloom when women were allowed to vote, and to stand for local councils (I'm assuming you are a bloke?)
I support Amar Singh's analysis on the need for the future Lib Dem Leader to prioritise this work.
As chair of the Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats, I will be working with the party's leadership to ensure that our values and policies, to defend civil liberties, campaign for social justice, and the environment, resonate with the UK's diverse communities.

Amar has highlihghted an issue that many of us in the Liberal Democrats Party agree with. The Liberal Democrats could be the Party of natural choice for those who put equality and fairness at the top of their social agenda.

In the 1997 general election the Liberal Democrats was the Party that fielded the most number of ethic minority candidates. I was one of that number. That was at a time when Liberal Democrats were very much a third Party in the making

Many of us expected that when the Party's fortunes impoved in 2001 there would be a couple of ethnic minority in seriously winnable seats. But alas that proved to be a forlorn hope. So we waited for 2005. In the interim period Lord Dolakia set up the Racial Equality Advisory Group, which I had the privilege of chairing.
The group produced a well researched report which the eParty's Federal Executive adopted and the then Party Charles Kennedy launched in the House of Commons

Once again the expectations of the ethnic minority membership were raised and there was anticipation that the 2005 General elecction would field ethnic minority candidates in winnable seats
Alas this did not happen

Now as he head for the next general election we once again wait for the Party to take radical action to ensure the Party selects ethnic minority candidates in winnable seats. To date there has been much promise but little action from th eleadership.

This despite promises from Ming Campbell during the last leadership hustings that tackling this issue would be a priority for him (It just so happens that Chris Huhne also gave similar undertakings at the same meeting).

As chair of the Ethnic Minority Election Task Force I will again be asking the leadership contenders what they intend to do to put a speedy end to the ethnic deficit in the Liberal Democrats Parliamentary groups

Messages to the leadership contenders from free thinkers like Amar about the political collateral of doing whatever is necessary to bring in ethnic minority parliamentarians into the fold can only be good for our cause.

I know Liberal Democrats believe what they preach. What I dont understand is why they fear taking the bold step necessary to make it happen.

Meral, Meral Meral,

I though my point was clear, but obviously not. I do not have issues with ethnic minorities joining politics. However, i do have an issue with a positive discrimination campaign to get people involved in politics just because they speak Turkish, rather than on the basis of their ability to do the job.

I don’t know what your point is. Do you? Does anyone? You've written 'what planet are you on'. Nice, really well though out rebuttal. All this does is reinforce my argument that getting people, involved in politics on the basis of their ethnicity, is not going to give rise to the type of intelligent debate that's needed to govern a country.

My only advice to you Meral, is if people are going to achieve something, let them achieve it on the basis of their intelligence, personality and sheer will power, not on the basis of them playing the race-card.

I know you're with me on this Meral.

Francesca says "that's why most of us don't vote". Actually, at the last General Election, a substantial majority of people DID vote, as turnout was well over 50%, so in not-voting, Francesca is in a distinct minority, rather than representing "most of us" as she claims in her post.

Oh Lord!

This blog has been turned into some kind of soap box for Lib Dem 'freethinkers' (or hippies as I like to call them).

Rabi instead of worrying about an 'ethnic deficit' why don’t we worry about the crime, street gangs, ASBO, teenage pregnancy surplus. In all seriousness, I appreciate the work you're doing. But when I'm walking down a dark street, I'm more interested in how many Policeman are on the beat, how good the street lighting is etc.

I may be wrong but when I'm about to be robbed by a gang of teenage hoodlums, I'm hoping that there's a Policeman nearby to save the day, rather than a Turkish-speaking Parliamentarian.

If you want to win votes, beat the Law and Order drum, not the Ethnic Minority bongo.

'Indian lawyer' - sorry haven't been paying attention to this blog..
My hippy days are long over, and I hung up my poncho some years ago. Can't see myself beating any ethnic minority 'bongo' (you are charming!)
"My only advice to you Meral, is if people are going to achieve something, let them achieve it on the basis of their intelligence, personality and sheer will power, not on the basis of them playing the race-card"
We're all agreed!- we don't expect to be elected just because we're Turkish, or Indian for that matter. We expect that political parties just as the Police are doing, make efforts to encourage, recruit, train and support people from all backgrounds.
In fact I would go further, BME's seeking selection for any political position, in my experience, have to work even harder, show greater determination and will power to succeed.
No-one is suggesting we should play the race card. Your argument is one dimensional, and I'm afraid completely misses the point.