LETTER : Roll on Budgen's racial nightmare

Sir: According to Nicholas Budgen "many West Midlanders feel themselves to be strangers in their own pubs, schools and streets." Could it be due to the racism they encounter in those pubs, schools and streets?

Of course, Budgen claims not to know what is meant by "racist". A racist is a person who believes it would be a tragedy if Trinity College Cambridge became 80 per cent "West Indian" on merit. I hope Mr Budgen will not hesitate to write to The Independent if he has any problems with other difficult words such as "humanity", "decency", "justice" and "fairness".

J V A DAS

Loughborough, Leicestershire