The big problem here is the glib way that some of us are using the expression "racist song." So some fellow comes to your club with the intention of singing one of these "objectionable" songs. Well that song is only in his head. He hasn't passed a song sheet round. What happens next is the vital bit. If the chap's demeanour is clearly racist, you'll probably know this already and he won't get very far. At our club in Bude we knew nearly all the twats who were likely to turn up every now and then and they wouldn't get a look in. We had a good few stompers-out. A bit like when a bodhran owner turns up to the session and, within seconds, all the spaces in the seating miraculously close up before he can sit down. If he sings the thing in such a way as to make the members think he's propagating a racist message, he'll get short shrift, and he won't get a spot next Friday night. If he gives a bit of context before he sings it and does a bit of dissociating from the potential message, we might not like it much but at least we'll respect the approach.

Guess what. That's self-policing in action. We don't need any banning. We don't need any censorship. We are talking here about whether we sing certain songs or not in folk clubs or singarounds, not taking them out to mass marches in the street to incite violence. We know what to do and we don't need telling. You don't hear the contentious songs very often. That tells us that we are doing it right. No self-appointed arbiters, thanks. We can manage well without them. Hebden Bridge Is full of weirdos but it's still quite a nice place, by the way.