Letter: Fresh thinking to fight racism

Sir: The public 'declaration of war' by the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Paul Condon, on the evil of racism will be welcomed by all people of goodwill in our society ('Police 'must be totally intolerant' of internal racism', 1 March).

At a time when the vexed question of law and order holds so central a position in public consciousness, it is particularly refreshing that such a senior figure in the apparatus of crime and punishment in the UK was willing to devote his first public speech to tackling the insidious evil of racism among those who share his uniform.

But, as Mr Condon is well aware, words alone will not root out that evil. It requires action, and I am glad that he has committed himself publicly to pursuing that course.

I believe the Home Secretary must now seize the opportunity created by Mr Condon's public statement, and encourage fresh thinking against racism throughout the 'law and order establishment' for which he and his colleagues are responsible. That means action in the prison and probation services as well. Action, too, (dare one say it?) to ensure that on the magistrates' bench and throughout the judiciary and the legal establishment, racist attitudes and behaviour are outlawed in reality as well as in theory.

While, as I have said, words alone will not solve the problem, I invite the Home Secretary to begin by using words. I suggest that he convene a national conference of senior figures from the judiciary, the Civil Service, the prisons and probation services, together with the police, to plan a national campaign against institutionalised racism. One can only hope that black Britons would be among those participants.

Yours sincerely,

BILL MORRIS

General Secretary

Transport and General Workers Union

London, SW1

1 March