The latest example of Home Secretary Jacqui Smith's wisdom and eloquence takes the all-time kebab.

Writing to Gordon Brown, she alleges that economic downturn will "increase support for racism and this presents a threat as there is evidence that grievances based on experiencing racism is one of the factors that can lead to people becoming terrorists".

Some of us would like to see evidence for this twisted logic.

Those who carry out terrorist attacks are racially broadly similar to us. Our chief difference is cultural, not racial.

Those who don't understand that can only blame 11 years of deliberate Labour misguidance.

A report commissioned by Harriet Harman suggested white Parliamentary candidates should be barred from standing in at least eight constituencies, to get more black and Asian MPs elected.

This would require a change of law, as positive discrimination is illegal in the UK.

Discrimination has caused considerable division in the United States, where fraudulent affirmative action continues unabated.

Those brought up to think of Britain as their homeland find such notions extremely disturbing.

Don't think David Cameron disapproves either, because it may well suit his A-list containing several ethnic candidates.

Meanwhile, we seem to wait quietly for armed civil strife, foolhardily accepting unnecessary cultural and religious change — a possible European-wide struggle eventually to be fought street-by-street, block-by-block in major EU cities.

Stephen Ward Tudor Close Oxford