Thursday, 30 October 2008

It needed saying and it's a lovely story too!
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WALES ON LINE   30.10.08
Invite mix-up ends in police talk race shock

    by Tomos Livingstone, Western Mail


IT IS not a mistake the National Black Police Association is likely 
to repeat in a hurry.

As the organisation’s members arrived in York for their annual 
conference, they expected to hear from former Shadow Home Secretary 
David Davis on civil liberties, terrorism and police reform.

But a mix-up led to his near-namesake David Davies, the outspoken 
Conservative MP for Monmouth, being invited instead.
Mr Davies, a special constable and member of the Home Affairs Select 
Committee, delivered a robust speech suggesting the group might 
itself be guilty of racism.

Some audience members became so enraged that Mr Davies was offered an 
escort from the conference centre.

He told the NBPA – which is backing and funding Assistant 
Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur’s race discrimination case against the 
Metropolitan Police – it should check the truth of discrimination 
claims before going to court.

And he said it was “human nature” for people to blame their race, 
instead of their lack of talent, when rejected for promotion.

He told the conference: “To me, it is a shame that full membership of 
the NBPA is open only to those of black, Asian or Middle Eastern origin.

“Tackling racism and unfair treatment of ethnic minorities is 
something which is taken seriously by members of every race in the 
police force and yet the clear implication is that white people do 
not share this concern.
“It could be argued that this policy is explicitly racist in that it 
bars white people, and implicitly racist in suggesting that white 
people care less about racism than people of black, Middle Eastern, 
Asian or African origin.”
He added: “It is human nature that if we are denied a promotion, we 
find it easier to convince ourselves and others that our race, 
religion, sex or sexual orientation is to blame, rather than our 
abilities.”

NBPA general secretary Stafford Brooks said: “There was an invitation 
sent out. The wrong David Davis turned up.
“Clearly he did say some controversial things and it was quite 
upsetting for some of our members. But it was a very successful 
conference as far as we are concerned.”

Mr Davies said afterwards he was asked if he wanted an escort to take 
him from the building because he had so enraged some members of the 
audience.
He said: “They asked me to come along and speak to them. I’m a member 
of the Home Affairs Select Committee and a Special Constable and I 
accepted.
“It seems they may have wanted the other David Davis but that’s not 
my problem.
“They’re the NBPA – I would expect them to know the difference. If 
I’m asked to going along there and give a speech that’s what I’m 
going to do.
“They did look a bit surprised when I turned up and told them what I 
was going to say.
“I don’t think they realised the full gravity of what it was going to 
mean.”

Mr Davies stood by his criticisms, saying it was “unacceptable” and 
“disgraceful” that white officers were excluded from the group.
“They seem to hold the view that only black and Asian people care 
about racism and that’s not true,” he said.

The similarities between the two men’s names has caused difficulties 
in the past. In 2006 some media organisations attributed comments on 
Taser guns made by Mr Davies to Mr Davis, then a member of the 
Conservative frontbench.

When he was first elected to Westminster in 2005, the Speaker decided 
that Mr Davies should be known as “David TC Davies” to distinguish 
him from Mr Davis – thus earning the Monmouth MP the nickname “Top Cat”.
Other Welsh politicians have fallen victim to the similar-name curse. 
In 2004, the University of Edinburgh Conservative and Unionist 
Association invited Conservative AM Laura Anne Jones to address them, 
but ended up asking Labour AM Ann Jones instea