article_snippet: Jack Straw has said 'a lot of white politicians' prefer to keep silent about the segregation of our communities for fear of being dubbed racist.
article_snippet: Jack Straw, Labour MP for Blackburn has said 'a lot of white politicians' prefer to keep silent about the segregation of our communities for fear of being dubbed racist .
article_snippet: It comes days after Mr Philllips said in an article that Britain is silencing debate on race issues by 'intimidating' those who dare to ask questions.
article_snippet: Mr Philllips said far too many people felt unable to speak far too many people minds out of a fear far too many people would be branded racist, and that people would have to become 'more ready to offend each other' as the price of free speech.
article_snippet: The comments come 10 years after Mr Philllips warned that Britain was 'sleepwalking to segregation' – comments which attracted a welter of criticism.
article_snippet: Asked Mr Phillips why it is that the UK is not comfortable talking about segregation, Mr Straw said: 'There is a sort of polite society in which people aren't comfortable about talking about this. '
article_snippet: Mr Straw Mr Straw said: 'I think that a lot of white politicians are nervous about this.
article_snippet: a lot of white politicians lack confidence about what a lot of white politicians views are – and think that somebody will criticise a lot of white politicians if a lot of white politicians come out with a lot of white politicians.'
article_snippet: When Mr Phillips suggested: 'Somebody will call a lot of white politicians racist?', Mr Straw replied: 'Racist or some nonsense like that.'