LONDON, April 23 (UPI) -- A Member of Parliament claims British voters have become more conservative because political correctness has made them afraid to express feelings on race.
Philip Davies, the Tory MP for Shipley, North Yorkshire, said politicians were failing to debate asylum and immigration, and citizens were afraid of being fired or jailed for saying what they thought.
Davies said he believed David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party, agreed with him that tough immigration policies were crucial to good race relations, The Observer reported.
Labor MPs demanded the Tories disown Davies' views.
A Tory party spokesman said Davies was "entitled to his views" but added: "We don't accept that we haven't really dealt with immigration."
Davies' comments follow a difficult debate within the Labor party, following a warning from Employment Minister Margaret Hodge that eight out of 10 white voters she surveyed in east London had at least flirted with backing the extremist British National Party. Hodge said those voters were concerned about having to compete with asylum-seekers for homes.
