Shocked at Patrick Mercer's behaviour

So Patrick Mercer has been dispatched from the Tory front bench for some less than attractive comments about the acceptability of racism in Army life.

What shocks me is not that there are members of the Tory front bench with less than progressive views on race relations. It is that Mercer was stupid enough to voice them. If your party has a problem with being perceived as racist, and your party leader has spent the last year trying to change that image, surely as a frontbencher you realise you have to be purer than pure on such issues. Even sailing close to the wind isn't an option. So how out of touch is Mercer that he thought nothing of giving such quotes to the press, in the apparent belief that they wouldn't be construed as condoning racism.

By sacking him quickly and publicly the Boy Dave has probably limited the damage. But I bet the left wing elements of Fleet Street will be searching out anything else that could possibly be construed as racism emanating from the Tory benches to try and make this story run. Is Ann Winterton booked to do any rugby club dinners soon?