ZAC Goldsmith’s mayoral campaign has come under fire for its racial slant but he is hoping his targeting of Asian voters in the swing-borough Ealing will prove fruitful.

His ‘doughnut campaigning’, a Boris Johnson strategy in which candidates focus on London’s outer boroughs, means he has targeted Ealing to try to take advantage of the Conservatives’ rising ethnic minority (BME) support.

The Richmond Park MP sent out leaflets addressed to voters with South Asian surnames and visited Southall’s Gurdwara place of worship.

Sunder Katwala, director of think tank British Future, said: "I think the importance of the Asian vote and the ethnic minority vote across London especially in boroughs like Ealing where it's growing isn't now on the margins of the electorate.

“It can make the difference as to who wins and loses and even national elections. Every party has to reach out to ethnic minority votes and the Goldsmith campaign is obviously aware of that."

Mr Katwala explained that BME voting is now more directly associated with economic and class lines as opposed to ethnic heritage.

This in some way explains the success of the Conservatives with Indians who, as an ethnic group, tend to have a more middle class background.

Mr Katwala believes this election will see success with older BME voters as opposed to younger ones.

He said: "I think younger minority voters, especially British born minorities and especially graduates, have had two question marks about the nature of the campaign.

“One is that while reaching out to voters of different ethnic backgrounds is something parties do and that's perfectly legitimate.

“Approaching Asian voters through purely sort of ‘we support the Indian community’ frame probably works with older minority voters rather than younger voters who probably want a more integrated message about jobs and bus routes and trains.”

Finally Mr Katwala doubted the effectiveness of Mr Goldsmith’s attacks on Sadiq Khan.

He said: "Certainly the imagery of the Mail on Sunday piece that Zac Goldsmith wrote, a lot of younger voters, white British voters and British Asian voters will feel that went over the top in what you should do in a democratic election between rival political parties and candidates." 

The leaflets sent to South Asians in Ealing, among other things, discussed Mr Goldsmith’s approval of Indian Prime Minister Modi, promoted the Tamil community in London and attacked Mr Khan’s proposed jewellery tax as it harmed Asian values.

The leaflets have divided the opinion of South Asians in Ealing.

T. Patel, 28, from Ealing, said: “I have no issue with Goldsmith targeting British Asians in his marketing per se.

“I think it is reasonable to assume that different cultures and ethnicities would have different areas of concern and motivators when selecting who to vote for.

“This ‘tactic’ is just recognition of that fact, and I am not sure I understand the sensationalist reaction it has received in some quarters.

“The larger issue for Goldsmith is that unfortunately, I don't think the plan will really have worked.

“A jewellery tax would only affect and interest a relatively small number of British Asians and the pro-Modi statements are likely to alienate a number of his target group, particularly Sikhs and Muslims.”

Technology consultant, Upanishad Loomba, 25, from Ealing Common, complained about a leaflet wrongly sent to him.

“While I support the Conservative party, I could not but feel frustrated at receiving this letter,” he said.

“I did not view this as a friendly outreach by a mayoral candidate, rather an exploitation of an ethnic minority to swing votes by using racial profiling.

“I support the Conservative party and it is warming that they continue to develop strong ties with India, however I am disappointed that they have made lazy assumptions with regard to what London Indians value in a bid to gain voters in swing boroughs.

“Even worse, I’m not even Gujurati.”

Ken Livingston won the Ealing mayoral elections in 2008 and 2012 — he received 45% and 41% of the first choice vote and beat Boris Johnson by 5% and 2%.

Ealing’s population was registered in the 2011 census as having 14.3% British Asian/Indian, 4.3 % British/Asian Pakistani and 9.3% British/Asian Other.

The Conservatives received 1 million BME votes at the last general election, which was a record, and registered as a third of all BME votes in the country.

Image courtesy of Policy Exchange via Flickr, with thanks