THERE are times in one's life when you were taught a lesson that stays with you to your grave.
One such seminal moment happened to me in 1982 when I was the UK chairman of the Conservative students working in Westminster.
I took a call from an exceedingly well-spoken gentleman who wanted to book an advert for the Conservative gay movement in a magazine I was producing. He said he'd come round with the art work within the week. The bloke sounded a right toff, probably another of these young fogies in tweed I thought. A couple of days later the receptionist rang to say there's a Mr Laud to see you about an advert.
I said show him in, expecting some wet aristocratic Bertie Wooster type, when in walks a very well-groomed and rather handsome young man in a dark pinstriped suit - and he was black. "Hello I'm Derek Laud, pleased to meet you."
I was taken aback, I had allowed the voice on the telephone to feed my prejudices and my mind had conjured up a completely false image of what to expect.
Here was a classless, black, gay Tory and he was proud of it. Never again would I complacently accept the stereotypes of people's accents or colour.
Now Derek Laud is one of the last six on Big Brother and faces eviction tonight. Forget Malcolm Rifkind, Liam Fox and David Cameron for Tory leader. If Tory MPs think David Davis is a plotter (usually a prerequisite for a politician in my book) then they should go for a real moderniser and get Derek Laud into parliament and make him their leader.
If they really want to modernise the Tory party and challenge people's stereotypes about what Conservatives stand for in modern Britain, then the charming, perceptive and intelligent Derek Laud is our man. Much as I like Eugene, tonight Derek will certainly be getting my vote.
TheScotsman
