Papers condemn Tory race remarks

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Sacked Conservative frontbencher Patrick Mercer earns little sympathy from the papers after his remarks about black soldiers in the Army.

In an interview, he said he had met a lot of idle and useless ethnic minority soldiers who used racism as a cover.

The Times newspaper calls his comments thoroughly insulting and inappropriate for a person aspiring to be a minister. 

For the Independent such blinkered attitudes are "unpalatable" and should be condemned at every opportunity.

'Witch-hunt'

The Sun calls the former homeland security spokesman a "prat" and says he owes it to David Cameron to consider his future as a Conservative.

The Mirror is similarly "astonished" by the slur on black soldiers.

While finding racism "utterly unacceptable", the Mail wonders whether Mr Cameron had to act with "such puffed up, politically correct zeal".

It asks: "Does anyone imagine that knee-jerk witch-hunts serve, in the long term, the cause of racial harmony it asks."

Rich houses

The Sun turns its attention to another "PC-inspired witch-hunt" - that of the policeman taken off frontline duty after he was filmed punching a woman.

It says he had been doing his duty by detaining the woman safely and quickly and should be put back on the beat.

The Telegraph and the Express, meanwhile, lead on new figures showing that house prices rose by an average of nearly £3,500 last month.

That means most homes earned more than their owners, the Telegraph points out.

'Trust dented'

The Mirror leads with the recent TV scandals and accuses TV executives' greed and arrogance of denting the vital trust between TV and audience.

It calls on the rest of the industry to start serving viewers, rather than thinking of new ways to shaft them.

Many of the papers bid farewell to Are You Being Served? actor John Inman.

The Mirror says he earned the highest of accolades - a catchphrase. The Mail argues he was a gay icon who was hated by Gay Liberation for his camp style.