Among the how-well-do-we-know-each-other cards pulled from a bowl during a recent dinner party, the one that provoked the greatest interest was: What is your prejudice? No one had to think about this one. As Kate from Avenue Q said, ‘Everyone’s a little bit racist.’

Each person among our party voiced his/her own prejudice and there followed a round of agreement or disagreement. ‘You can’t say that,’ was one shocked response to, ‘I’m prejudiced against fat women who don’t take care of the way they look.’
‘What about obese men?’
‘No, just women,’ came the honest reply (from my slim, fit and stylish female friend). In fact this admittance provoked less tolerance (for want of a better word) than any mention of prejudice against race or religion. Perhaps it was its freshness compared to the more common intolerances…

Currently in the Netherlands, the debate on the figure of Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) is growing in strength and the United Nations has asked the Dutch government for clarification on the character of Zwarte Piet.

‘Kids love Zwarte Piet because he hands out sweets,’ Hot Danish explained to Plan B who was visiting. ‘And it’s tradition.’
‘Fox hunting was a tradition in the UK,’ I responded. (Plan B had clearly decided to stay out of the argument.)
‘We don’t kill anything for sport in the name of Zwarte Piet,’ HD said.
‘You need to move with the times.’

With one final attempt at defending one of his favourite childhood characters, HD got out his laptop to show Plan B a video…