UK News 19-12-2000 Hague Defiant Over Race Row who: William Hague what: Digs in over race row where: LONDON when: Yesterday snippet: "William Hague yesterday raised the stakes in the row over law and order," reports The Guardian, "when he ignored a plea for restraint from the parents of Damilola Taylor to issue a blunt warning that a Labour election victory will lead to more tragic murders in Britain`s inner cities." "Mr Hague was unrepentant," says The Independent. He said he refused to be "bullied" into backing down on the issue of inner city policing, insisting "that the political implications of the killing could not be ignored". "There will be more crime if police numbers and police morale continue to fall," he said. "And that will mean, yes, there are more tragedies that we all end up discussing." The Mirror is very clear in its condemnation, calling Mr Hague`s comments "offensive, disgraceful and disgusting". But The Telegraph defends the Tory leader, saying he is "colour-blind in the figurative, as well as the literal, sense". "To his immense credit," says The Telegraph`s leader, "Mr Hague has refused to be browbeaten. In repeating his calls for more police and tougher sentencing, he has spoken for the great majority of his countrymen". [... more]

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