Monday, February 11, 2008

Normal For Norfolk

Phil Woolas has warned of the dangers of in-breeding within the Asian community (the arranged marriage of first cousins). One's first reaction is that he has gone off his head. He should turn his attention to the Windsor family (those jug ears don't come from nowhere). But the Daily Telegraph reports some figures which, if true (I say if) do suggest that Woolis has a point: 55% of British Pakistanis are married to first cousins, British Pakistani children account for one-third of birth defects although they are only 3% of all UK births. The Telegraph doesn't say where these figures come from. It could be cobblers. But if these figures are accurate, Woolis is quite right to point them out (of course accusations of racism and Islamophobia will routinely follow). Woolis is not my cup of tea. He is a Blairite isn't he? But I wouldn't have thought he was a racist. We are not talking Ann Winterton here.
My assumption is that the MP's from Norfolk will prudently sit out this controversy.

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