It is better to trust to the instincts of parents about their family's particular situation than to fear sweeping generalisations about the effect of nonparental childcare.. William Hague cannot have it both ways. He ensured that race would be an election issue by warning in his speech in Harrogate last month that another term of Labour government would turn Britain into a "foreign land" William Hague cannot have it both ways. He ensured that race would be an election issue by warning in his speech in Harrogate last month that another term of Labour government would turn Britain into a "foreign land".It is no use the Conservatives now complaining that the issue should be kept out of the election campaign, on the grounds that there is a cross-party consensus against racism. Mr Hague is not a racist, and certainly the Conservative party is officially opposed to racial discrimination. As leader, Mr Hague has signed the Commission for Racial Equality's declaration on behalf of all his MPs and candidates. It promises they will act in the interests of "all their constituents" during the election campaign "regardless of race, sex, colour [or] religion".But what has he done about those MPs who initially refused to sign the declaration? He has hidden behind John Gummer, long of the party's liberal tendency, and Michael Portillo, a recent recruit to it, as they make the plausible argument that the signatures of MPs should not be extorted for every well-meaning declaration of intent.

It is invidious to expect elected representatives to sign up to a form of words which they have not chosen and condemn them as racist if they do not. But when one of the non-signers is John Townend, the unapologetic author of recent sentiments decrying the "dilution" of homogenous Anglo-Saxon culture, this libertarian line of argument sounds less plausible.Mr Townend should have been expelled from the Tory party for his earlier comments. And if Mr Hague means what he says, he should surely at least require James Cran and Eric Forth, the other avowed non-signers, to explain their views in their own words. That he has done nothing undermines the credibility of his anti-racist protestations.It is simply no use, therefore, Michael Ancram, the Conservative party chairman, complaining that the Foreign Secretary in his speech this week was "playing the race card". To be sure, Robin Cook's praise for multiculturalism and chicken tikka masala, "the national dish", was an opportunist attempt to exploit Conservative unease over race But good for him. For too long, the "race card" has been regarded by liberals as a trump up the sleeve of bigots.

Now there are real signs that the mood of the nation is changing ­ that populist politicians are just as likely to evoke a sympathetic echo from the electorate by appealing to British traditions of tolerance and equal opportunity, as by attacking immigrants.This does not mean that racism is no longer a problem in this country. Far from it, as this week's reports of Asian youths fighting back against persistent harassment ­ the alleged no-go areas for whites in Oldham ­ remind us. It makes sense, therefore, to test the Conservative party's recognition of "the need for inclusiveness and equality of esteem" as Mr Portillo put it yesterday. How does this square with Mr Hague's repeated attempts to portray asylum-seekers as scroungers attracted to Britain because it is a "soft touch"? How does it square with Mr Hague's repeated failure to tell the well-entrenched racist minority in his party the truths they do not want to hear? Or with his failure to discipline MPs who pretend that the views of this minority are shared by the leadership?Race is one issue on which there is clear blue water between the parties, and on which the Tories are being found wanting. It is quite right that the voters should be asked to judge them on it It should be a political football It is one of the most important issues in modern society..