Our vision is one that will ensure, not that people are treated the same, but that they are treated equally. That is why we will be bringing in new and stronger Race Relations Laws as soon as possible - and that's a promise. The truth is that, in one sense, it shouldn't matter at all. To judge men and women by their race, is to make a judgement without meaning. To judge men and women by the colour of their skin, black, brown or pink, is as meaningless a means of judgement, as to judge men and women by the length of their nose, the hand with which they write or the size of their feet.
Racism is absurd, a poison, a form of madness.
Maybe we have all been mad to allow a society where such things matter. One day they will not. We can judge ourselves by what does matter - by the good we do, the contribution we make, the love, affection and joy which we may bring to others. There's another poison that wrecks lives and undermines entire communities - drugs. In some of our cities half of those arrested test positive for heroin.