Racism row may leave Major isolated

COLIN BROWN and

HEATHER MILLS

London

SARAH HELM

Brussels

A row over European Union moves to halt the rising tide of racism and racial violence last night threatened to leave John Major embarrassingly isolated at next month's Madrid summit of European leaders.

Michael Howard, the Home Secretary, faced a storm of criticism yesterday after blocking the measures - which include making it an offence to deny the existence of the Holocaust - at a European Council of Ministers meeting. Jewish leaders yesterday protested to Mr Howard, who is also Jewish, over his action, warning that literature denying the Holocaust was already circulating in British schools.

Mr Howard was standing firm, but Anita Gradin, the European Home Affairs Commissioner, warned the proposals would be put on the agenda for the Madrid summit. She said pan-European measures were needed to combat racism.

Mr Major has committed himself throughout his political career to opposing racism and would be embarrassed if he were forced to veto anti-racist measures. But Mr Howard is a Euro-sceptic and his critics privately suggested yesterday his veto was partly motivated by a refusal to allow Britain to be forced to accept European harmony on home affairs measures.

Immigrants' groups described the decision as "shameful and immoral" while the Board of Deputies of British Jews said it was "deeply regrettable" that Britain had vetoed plans which would have included making it an offence to deny the Holocaust, and introduced tighter laws on incitement to race hatred.

The Home Secretary - already accused of playing the race card in pushing through tough and controversial restrictions on asylum seekers and immigrants - was accused of further risking race relations in this country. By refusing to sign up to the package, he was seen particularly by immigrant, refugee and black organisations as denying any degree of balance to the new tough immigration policy.

Jack Straw, shadow Home Secretary, said Mr Howard "will not have enhanced Britain's reputation as a country deeply concerned about racism".

Mr Howard said Britain already had highly effective race relations laws and that many of the EU measures were "unnecessary" and "counter-productive".

Although he said he was prepared to carry on talking with Britain's EU partners about the plan, he told BBC radio, he would not countenance any fresh EU legislation in an area where Britain already had its own laws in place.

"The laws we have in this country, we have developed over the years. We have had them in place longer than most other countries in Europe, they are more extensive than most other countries in Europe and our race relations are better than in most other countries in Europe."

However, the President of the Board of Deputies, Eldred Tabachnik, said that as racist groups can move without hindrance throughout the EU, it was vital there was a common European policy to tackle it. "We find it deeply regrettable that the British government has chosen to veto this initiative. Britain is not immune from developments in Europe and should not allow itself to be isolated on this vital issue."