Having had his fingers burnt with the pop pack, Prime Minister Tony Blair decided to rub shoulders with the ethnic pack at a gathering of Britain's 200 wealthiest Asians in central London. Accompanied by his wife, Cherie, who wore an embroidered sari, Blair praised entrepreneurs at the dinner, held to mark the release of a list of Britain's wealthiest Asians. Leading the way are Lakshmi and Usha Mittal, who own a multi-national steel company worth 2 billion, followed by the Hinduja family, worth 1.2 billion, with extensive interests in industry and oil. The presence of the Blairs was proof of Labour's keenness to woo wealthy Asians, who have traditionally favoured the Tories and seen Labour as a hindrance rather than a help to business. But as Blair tucked into his samosas, surrounded by the super-rich, the list, and Labour's support for it, left others in the Asian community with a sour taste in their mouths.
Campaigners claim the list paints a misleading picture of the success of Britain's Asian community.
Few in the top 10 made their money in Britain and many on the list come from wealthy families. Many originated from east Africa, and had made substantial money before coming to Britain. Many Asian workers are poorly paid and work interrible conditions, often in companies owned by other Asians. At the end of the day, a businessman is a businessman and it doesn't matter what the race is. Most successful Asian businesses are in the food, retail and textile areas, traditionally poorly paid with limited job security.