A political race

ANNE McIntosh is cross. The MP has spent the Easter break touring her Vale of York constituency talking to people about "the biggest crisis in the Vale of York since I was elected" and then some journalist rings up to ask why she hasn't signed the Campaign For Racial Equality compact.

"Do you have any idea of how many pieces of paper cross my desk in the run up to an election?" she asks in exasperation.

The compact says that "racially hostile language" must not be used during the election campaign. It was signed by all Britain's political leaders at Westminster. So far, so consensual.

Then the CRE caused controversy first by urging every MP to sign, and then by publishing the names of those who did on its website.

Three have refused, all Tories, including East Yorkshire MP John Townend. No surprise there, considering his recent speech when he suggested that "our homogenous Anglo-Saxon society has been seriously undermined by the massive immigration - particularly Commonwealth immigration - that has taken place since the war".

Other MPs simply haven't signed. Including Miss McIntosh.

"I consider myself bound by the law as it exists," she said. "There was a clear understanding from both William Hague and Michael Ancram that William signed on our behalf."

She believes that MPs like her have been ambushed by the CRE. This publicly-funded quango has relinquished its duty of political impartiality, she said.

"The leading members of the CRE are members of the Labour Party and have political appointments in addition to this. I think the CRE, up until now, has been very respected. I think these members have blown that out of the water by campaigning for one party."

She also blames the row on the media desperately looking for an argument in the quiet holiday period. It is not an issue that has been raised on her recent constituency travels, she insists.

"I met with 40 farmers on one day. People are worried about their livelihoods.

"I think this is a complete distraction in the midst of the biggest crisis in the Vale of York since I was elected. I have not had one letter or one constituent come to see me about this."

Nevertheless, the race issue has never gone away. These days, the debate centres around Britain's policy on asylum seekers, although most asylum seekers are white.

The current row exploded after a speech by William Hague at Harrogate last month. "Let me take you on a journey to a foreign land - to Britain after a second term of Tony Blair," he said. That sentence did not refer to asylum seekers. But the speech went on to talk about the issue, and so immigration and 'foreign land' became entangled in the public mind.

Mr Hague insisted that the Tories would not be prevented from raising the concerns of voters despite the risk of being labelled reactionary, racist and Little Englanders by Labour.

Sure enough, the Labour Party has since attempted to exploit the Tories' position. In a speech on "Britishness" Robin Cook claimed the new national dish was chicken tikka massala, allying, as it does, the Indian chicken tikka, with the gravy-like massala sauce. Get down to your local curry house now for a mouthful of multi-culturalism. To spice up the mix even further, the Foreign Secretary stated that the British are not a race anyway.

The debate has stirred up deeply-held feelings. The view of veteran Evening Press letter writer Ida Mary Goodrick, of Tadcaster, that many "dare not speak out about asylum seekers for fear of being the target of lurid and hysterical criticism from many quarters" is not untypical.

"Do we need the asylum seekers?" she goes on to ask. "The test would come if we had to defend our beloved British Isles (and our way of life as we oldies knew it and which included freedom of speech) as we were compelled to do in 1914 and again in 1939 in two world wars."

For Dr Rob Aitken, history lecturer and ethnicity expert at York University, the party politicising of race is not edifying.

"The problem is how to create forms of Britishness, of identity, that go beyond the Little England idea and celebrate our diversity. I think there are elements of what Robin Cook is arguing that say that sort of thing. On the other hand, it's very hard for him to say that when you have got Jack Straw talking tough about bogus asylum seekers."

Such speeches also stir up racial hatred. Scotland Yard said this weekend that there was a direct relationship between political rhetoric calling for tougher immigration policies and an increase in attacks on asylum seekers.

Dr Aitken would like to see politicians highlight the fact that "this country needs more immigration, not less" to help out a labour market with too few young workers in an ageing population.

Dominic M'Benga is more pessimistic view: whatever the politicians say won't make any difference, he believes.

The Haxby butcher is British, and proud of it. He is also black, being born in Bradford to an African father and a Scottish mother.

During his ten-year Army career, he wasn't affected by racism. Civvy street, on the other hand, is different. "Being black in Britain isn't a lot of fun.

"But if you complain too much you have got a chip on your shoulder. You get to shut up and expect it."

He says the problem is bad in York. "People don't think there is a race problem in York but that's because there's not a large ethnic minority community. On a Saturday night, about 10,000 people are out and there might be two or three black faces."

He has been a victim of a racist attack, and of racist abuse. And he believes some politicians will exploit the race issue to win votes.

"What they are saying to people who don't understand is 'vote for us and we'll see that blacks don't come in and take your jobs'."

One of Mr M'Benga's customers asked him not to touch the meat in his shop. He has become resigned to this sort of prejudice, and believes that whether politicians sign anti-racism contracts or eat curries until they are red in the face will make absolutely no difference to him and others like him.

"There is absolutely nothing you can do. I am 36 years old. I have got another 30 years left. I have got to expect another 30 years of racism. And I am as British as they come."

Updated: 11:09 Tuesday, April 24, 2001