SO BLACK man Hugh Neil, the Tories' troubled parliamentary candidate in Hyndburn, now plays the race card, claiming "a couple of racist bigots" in the local party want him ousted as, amid doubts about his background, he is hit by a vote of no confidence by members of the Conservative Association.

This is the base tactic of a desperate man.

And it is perfectly put down by the association's chairman, Miss Win Frankland, who points out that if Hyndburn's Tories were racist, they would not have picked him in the first place.

Mr Neil has suffered badly already as his credibility has been called into account.

And, after this insult to members of his party and the people of Hyndburn, he now stands to hand Labour a sweeping victory in this marginal seat.

He would be wise to at least shut up.

And, frankly, wiser still to pack up and go.

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