Back to your old tricks, Bob? There's a campaigning manager in you just dying to get out isn't there?

In all seriousness, don't you think that Steve Bell throws the "all Tories are racists" line a bit often? His strip before the Mayoral elections had Boris Johnson talking about gassing "the Jews and the schwarzes".

The desire to impute evil onto your opponents is rarely terribly helpful. I guess you'll say that it's all a joke - but I'm not sure that "Tories are racists" is particularly funny.

I always read your blog with some trepidation: I am a Tory. Thank goodness a `black man `was not behind the billboard.

All this will bite you in the arse you know.

Tell us all you are not a racist for posting this.

With pleasure. I am not a racist for posting this, and Steve Bell is not a racist for drawing it. What's more, if you think I am or he is...you're a pervert.

OK.

Hi Bob,

Ta for the response. You nearly always do.

*Raspberry* (please imagine sound of Sidney James blowing one).

Many years ago someone wrote to the Sunday Times and said, rather shrewdly, "Gerald Scarfe doesn't make me laugh!" I say "shrewdly" because the very essence of cartooning is the deployment of wit. Judged by Mr. Bell's effort above he has none. Rather a weakness in a cartoonist, I feel.

Yes, David, a cartoonist may not, of course, have the primary objective to make you laugh, but to make you think. Bell was clearly unsuccessful there in your case.

But what does it make you think? Tories are racists? Talking about crime is racist? Talking about knife crime is, what, alarmist nonsense?

None of those things look terribly profound, or even coherent

Tim, I don't believe in generalisations like 'tories are racist' - we all know, as Nye said, they are vermin (only joking). It makes me think that some of the media hysteria, picked up by populist politicians of whom Cameron is but one, are dog whisting on the whole issue of knife crime.

Bob,

Is it your honestly held opinion that David Cameron is a racist?

"Tim, I don't believe in generalisations like 'tories are racist' - we all know, as Nye said, they are vermin (only joking). It makes me think that some of the media hysteria, picked up by populist politicians of whom Cameron is but one, are dog whisting on the whole issue of knife crime."

Yes you're quite right - it's racist to be against people getting stabbed. We must all be in favour of stabbing.

You're a bit of a prat really, aren't you?

machiavelli, I think you may have confused me with someone who gives a toss what you think about anything?

Come on Bob - we're lower than vermin remember! Funnily enough, the dog-whistle reaction is pretty much what Cameron was talking about - the idea that there are some subjects that are so sensitive that they shouldn't be talked about at all, for fear of causing offence...