There’s something very sinister about a Government minister calling for a classroom assistant to be sacked. It smacks of Orwell’s Big Brother.

Phil Woolas, the minister responsible for race relations made the comments to the Sunday Mirror. He was referring to Aishah Azmi, the assistant suspended for wearing a full veil.

It’s a sensitive case, which must be resolved in the proper way, through an employment tribunal. Mr Woolas should have refused to comment.