OUTSTANDING in the furore over the call by the Commission for Racial Equality to party leaders and MPs to sign an undertaking not to mention 'race' during the election, is the refusal of two older statesmen of the Labour Party, Tony Benn and Tam Dalyell to comply.

These two, whether one agrees with their views or not, are probably the most knowledgeable regarding parliamentary procedure to have graced the House of Commons for many years.

Why is the spleen vented upon such people as John Townend and other MPs who will not obey the CRE's diktat and not vented upon Mr Benn and Mr Dalyell? The fact is that such bodies as the CRE and the ill-named Runnymede Trust will not rest until we jump every time they crack their whips.

These bodies do nothing to promote good race relations. In fact, they create resentment where none exists in many cases and the best thing would be to close them before they ignite any further controversy.

If these kind of diktats are allowed to go unchallenged, we will see the emerging of the thought police until eventually we will be muzzled in our own homes.

J K FIELDING, St Cecilia Street, Great Harwood.