How long before we live in a colour blind society? Until it was pointed out in just about every newscast I listened to, it had never occurred to me that Kemi Badenoch was the first black leader of a major UK party - simply because her skin colour had been a complete irrelevance to me. It came as a shock to me that I had not even consciously registered her skin tone. A politician's colour should indeed be as irrelevant and unimportant as the size of his/her ears, their inside leg measurement or whether or not they are left or right-handed. Of course, I realise her victory is seen as a big deal to people of colour, and I understand that - it's just that it's sad that skin tone should have any place in the conversation. And probably will do for generations to come. Shame on all of us.

(Vincent Hefter, Mail on Sunday, November 10)