We are pleased to feature an exclusive interview with our Ambassador Alex Duguid. Alex continues to contribute excellently to CFIndia and to the wider Conservative Party, and our Co-Chair Dr Koolesh enjoyed sitting down with him this week to catch up on all things Conservative! Please do have a read of Alex's experiences below, and if you would like to take advantage of some of these opportunities, please do apply to be an Ambassador in our new intake. Applications close at 5pm on 5th June, please submit yours on the below link.
https://www.conservativefriendsofindia.co.uk/news/cfindia-op...
Interview with Ambassador Alex Duguid
So Alex, you have now been a CFIndia Ambassador for around 6 months, how are you finding it?
It has been a great experience so far. Being an Ambassador has given me some excellent opportunities; I have been able to hone my organisation and logistical skills and engage with my British-Indian roots in a new and exciting way.
You mention your British-Indian roots, is that part of the reason you wanted to become an Ambassador?
I am half Indian, with my mother being from Delhi originally, so the Indian culture has always been part of my life. I have grown up in Central London, attending school in the area and now going on to study at university here too. I return to India around once a year to visit family and still feel a very strong connection to the communities there. It definitely inspired my decision to become an Ambassador because it is such an embedded part of me.
What do you enjoy most about being a CFIndia Ambassador?
I think one of the main things for me is the opportunities that I have been given through the Ambassador programme. As I mentioned before, I have really been able to develop my organisational skills, but also have had the chance to meet new high-profile people, make connections and network in new circles.
Can you tell us a bit more about those opportunities and give us some examples?
Leading events and campaigning has been a big focus for me so far. Bringing people together and uniting communities is really important in today's world, and I think CFIndia is uniquely placed to do that. Organising events has given me an insight into party systems and helped me to understand how we can make the Conservative Party and its activities attractive to a wide range of supporters.
You talked a bit about campaigning, what has been your experience of that so far?
I am very involved within Westminster Council, and was delighted to see that we recently won back control after a hard-fought campaign. I am a resident in Westminster and part of the really diverse community that lives in the area. The CFIndia sessions that I organised in the run up to the local elections went down really well. Voters seemed to appreciate seeing different faces, some of which were able to connect with their own community and perspective in a better way. We did see some wards in Westminster win by a very thin margin, which just shows that every session that we held made a difference.
How have you found the commitment levels of being an Ambassador?
I should firstly say that I have found all of the commitments enjoyable. Everything really is centred around campaigning and events, both of which can involve a fair amount of organisation. However, all of the effort put into logistics and communications is rewarded when we see the positive results of the work we have put in. Leading up to the locals, teams in Westminster were out three times a week, which although at some points was difficult, is now more than worth it to enjoy Conservative control again.
What is your wider view on the direction of the Conservative Party?
I think we're in a position that we can be really optimistic about. We have a great range of policies and good direction from the top down. There are some really strong personalities in the Shadow Cabinet at the moment that work well together and are delivering brilliant alternatives to Labour's shambles.
The problems that we experience as a country can be traced back to the economy, and we remain the most trusted party on the economy. That is where the solutions lie, and I am pleased to see that we are creating a package of good economic policies on business rates and welfare reform.
How do you believe the Conservative Party can improve its appeal to young people and the British Indian community
The main challenge for young people at the moment is housing. We need to be able to provide an environment where young people can get onto the property ladder. We have already promised to abolish stamp duty, but there is more we can do on reforming the planning system and unlocking more construction to get Britain building again.
It is good to see the Party embracing a move away from purely traditional academic routes through encouraging training that focuses on skills. Increasing access to and funding for apprenticeships is definitely a step in the right direction.
It comes back to that intrinsic value of hard work that is so evident the within British Indian community. Hard work should bring success and needs to be rewarded. The Conservative Party can do this by lowering taxes and encouraging businesses to take risks in investing, which will benefit the whole country.
And just to finish, you will be aware that applications are open at the moment for our new intake of Ambassadors, would you encourage people to get involved in this way?
Of course. Being an Ambassador is a great role. For yourself, it gives opportunities to build your network and make valuable connections, but also on a wider scale for the Conservative Party and for our British-Indian community, by strengthening ties and relationships, we get to see more and more people getting involved with our mission.
We are in a really exciting place at the moment. With this expansion of CFIndia nationally into new corners of the UK, we can really begin to prepare for the next General Election and start the Renewal that the Conservative Party is promising.
