Church plays down racism claim

Claims that an early favourite to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury has been the victim of "naked racism" have been played down by the Church of England.

Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, has been targeted by an "anonymous whispering" campaign by critics trying to besmirch his name, according to his former aide, the Rev Arun Arora. In an article in The Sunday Telegraph, he said there was a "stark contrast" between the portrayal of Ugandan-born Dr Sentamu and the treatment of other bishops. "At worst, it has elicited the naked racism that still bubbles under the surface in our society."

A spokesman for the Church of England said: "The blog from Arun Arora quoted in the story is a month old and has already been widely quoted in a range of publications."