We have cause to be grateful for the BBC television programme in October exposing the appallingly low calibre of some police recruits. The undercover reporter had obviously singled out the most uncouth and moronic specimens, focusing on the single issue of race. And the clear intention was to reinforce accusations of 'institutional racism' against the police force as a whole.

Among the first reactions to the programme were horrified gasps from the Home Office and squeals of rage from the race relations industry while chief constables bowed their heads and re-dedicated their careers to multi-racialism. Henceforth, we were told, rigorous precautions must be taken to ensure that anyone prone to 'racist' thoughts is rejected at the earliest possible stage in recruitment. Exactly how such individuals will be detected remains to be seen. Will it be by cunningly, crafted psychological questionnaires? These are of dubious efficacy, since their use elsewhere shows that people soon get to know the kind of answers that pass muster. Or will recruits be attached to sophisticated lie-detector gadgets as well? And who would want to work for an employer adopting such measures anyway? Multi-racialist indoctrination of police recruits is already 'sheep-dip' routine, and will doubtless be intensified as a result of this TV programme. But will any of this really work? And what kind of evidence will be needed to placate the race-mixers? Unlike political beliefs, the preference of people for those of their own race and culture is not susceptible to argument or propaganda. They may conceal this for reasons of personal expediency; all job applicants are prudent about what they disclose to potential employers. So however dutifully police recruits respond to multi-racial prompts from their instructors, they remain subject to Shakespeare's worldly observation that "My words fly up; my thoughts remain below."

Politicising the police

The loony Left has always demanded political conformity as a condition of employment; and enforced multiracialism is clearly an attempt by the Home Office and others to politicise the police force. Like everybody else, police officers are entitled to choose their brand of politics, and it is a pretty safe bet that most privately favour the BNP more than any other party. But even assuming that the entire force consisted of multi-racialist clones, what would this do to confidence in the police as impartial guardians of those citizens with a very different political outlook? Would we not then be entitled to accuse the police of 'institutional multi-racialism'?

A young graduate and supporter (not member) of the BNP recently sought my advice about a police career. I told him that the problem would be that of reconciling some of his police duties with his patriotism. Like all too many, he could choose to ignore the patriotic spirit and seek advancement by zealous obedience of official directives, regardless of their wider and longer-term consequences for the country whose best interests he is supposed to be protecting. There are, alas, chief constables as well as there are vicars of Bray. Expediency is the first refuge of every scoundrel, and history abounds with revolting examples of official inhumanity and stupidity.

Fortunately, there have also been many rank-and-file subordinates who have contrived to subvert, frustrate or temper the impact of corrupt, inept or oppressive policies, often at great personal risk. In so doing they proved themselves men of honour and principle, and not mere apparatchiks or mechanics of social engineering.

This said, police work is an honourable calling, and I advised the young graduate to 'go for it' and give it his best as a loyal public servant. He should bear in mind that present laws may well be revoked by a different régime in the fullness of time, since no government is bound by the actions of its predecessors. Meanwhile there are values transcending the 'establishment' which no man of honour can ignore, whatever the cost to his career. So, given that loyalty and discrimination are indivisible (like authority and responsibility), how then does a police officer reconcile his patriotic and civic duty with multi-racialist directives?