White men are just as fast & Cameron Mark2

So Dr James Watson, the veteran Nobel scientist who helped to unravel the structure of DNA in 1953 has been forced to cancel his booked tour in Britain and return home to the United States. His research institute has suspended him from administrative duties as Chancellor pending further investigations into his comments suggesting that Africans were less intelligent than white people.

Yesterday Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, who lays claim to an 'O'-Level in science, attacked Dr Watson, saying that the comments were racist propaganda masquerading as scientific fact. "Such discredited racist theories seek to establish a genetically based racial hierarchy of the human race and have been condemned by leading scientists throughout the world," Mr Livingstone said.
"Such views are not welcome in a city like London, a diverse city whose very success demonstrates the racist and nonsensical nature of Dr Watson's comments," he said.

Now many people might take issue with Ken on that and claim that London today actually goes to prove the reverse. But I was pleased to see some support for the beleaguered academic.

Professor Colin Blakemore, chief executive of the Medical Research Council and a professor of neuroscience at Oxford University said: "It would be a sad world if such a distinguished scientist was silenced because of his more unpalatable views."

Professor Richard Dawkins, who was due to conduct a public interview with Dr Watson next week in Oxford, condemned what he called " . . the hounding, by what can only be described as an illiberal and intolerant 'thought police', of one of the most distinguished scientists of our time, out of the Science Museum, and maybe even out of the laboratory, despite him having devoted much of his life to building up a world-class reputation."

The 'illiberal and intolerant hounding' of Dr James Watson is as much about warning other scientists not to research racial differences as it is about punishing the Nobel Prize winner for his remarks. In the world of the likes of Ken Livingstone everyone must believe that all races are the same and that black people are as intelligent as white people and that white people can run as fast as black people. Once those living in a multi-racial society start thinking otherwise, that society will start to fragment.

Now if I didn't have a self-imposed ban on speculating on Betfair after my disastrous November General Election wager I would be having a few bob on Nick Clegg to be the new leader of the Liberal Democrats. My take on this leadership contest is that it will follow the same line as the Conservative one where the long time favourite David Davis was pipped at the post by the political lightweight but media friendly David Cameron. This time Chris Huhne, the long time favourite looks like being pipped by Clegg who looks even more media friendly than Cameron.

If Nick Clegg wins the contest, then the Liberal Democrats and Conservative Party will not only have policies that look and sound the same but they will have leaders that look and sound the same. These two media darlings are guaranteed to suffer from over exposure and voters will end up hating the sight of them. With the dour and morose Gordon Brown sinking deeper into depression as Cameron and Clegg grab all the headlines, voters will start looking for an alternative - and that will be good news for the British National Party. The scarcity of Nick Griffin's appearances on television will make it something of an occasion when he does appear and people will be more inclined to listen to what he has to say. Next to Cameron and Clegg, Nick will look like a political heavyweight and the fact that what he says resonates with the electorate will ensure that those already increasing BNP votes start being enough to change the political make-up of numerous local councils.

The compilation of the November issue of Freedom is entering its final phase so that means it's a working weekend, but hopefully if the weather holds there might be a chance for a walk in the Lakes tomorrow which always provides a bit of inspiration.

Workington Reds are way down in deepest Derbyshire this afternoon at Alfreton for a Conference North fixture. The team coach left Borough Park at 8.00am, much too early for me even if I had been able to go, so I shall have to listen to the game on Radio Cumbria.