Top British Conservative politician fired in race row

dpa German Press Agency Published: Thursday March 8, 2007

London (dap) - Britain's opposition Conservative Party had a full-
blown race scandal on its hands Thursday after one of its top members
said that soldiers from ethnic minorities were "idle and useless" and
used "racism as a cover for their misdemeanours."
Member of parliament Patrick Mercer, who speaks for the
Conservatives on Homeland Security, was Thursday sacked by party
leader David Cameron for the controversial remarks.

Mercer, a former colonel in the British Army, made his comments in
an online interview with The Times newspaper in response to
complaints by soldiers from Commonwealth nations that they were
suffering racism and discrimination in the army.

"I came across a lot of ethnic minority soldiers who were idle and
useless, but who used racism as cover for their misdemeanours,"
Mercer said.

It was commonplace for troops to be given a "hard time" over their
ethnicity, the colour of their hair, or because they were overweight,
Mercer said.

"But that's the way it is in the army. If someone is slow on the
assault course, you'd get people shouting: 'Come on you fat bastard,
come on you ginger bastard, come on you black bastard'."

Complaints about such behaviour were dismissed by Mercer as
"absolute nonsense, complete and utter rot."

Cameron, who is trying to win more candidates from ethnic
minorities for the Conservatives, sacked Mercer, describing his
comments as "completely unacceptable."

© 2006 - dpa German Press Agency

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