David Davis, a case of mistaken identity

When the National Black Police Association (NBPA) invited David Davis (pictured), the former Tory shadow home secretary, to be its keynote speaker at a conference in York they expected, based on his past utterances, a very on-side sort of message. However, it didn't turn out that way.

Shortly after the address began, the NBPA found itself criticised over its decision to back and fund the Metropolitan police assistant commissioner, Tarique Ghaffur, in his race discrimination case against the force. Scathingly, the conference was told it was "human nature" for people to blame race rather than lack of talent when rejected for promotion.

The speaker then turned to the NBPA's policy of only allowing ethnic minorities to have full membership, claiming it could be construed as "explicitly racist". He said: "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."

Many present were shocked by Davis’s line. Only this wasn't David Davis speaking. It was his parliamentary colleague and near namesake David Davies, the Tory MP for Monmouth, who had been invited to the event by mistake. Explains NBPA general secretary, Stafford Brooks, said: "There was an invitation sent out ... the wrong David Davies 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." ·