On Saturday, the Post reported that black Liberal Democrat councillor Shirley Brown used the term "coconut" to describe Asian Tory councillor Jay Jethwa.

"Coconut" is a term used by black or Asian people to describe someone who is seen to have "sold out" his or her own people to the "system", hence "brown on the outside, white on the inside". It is very offensive.

I know Cllr Brown, she is not racist, but on that occasion her words clearly were. No doubt there will be long, hard soul-searching for all concerned.

But what led up to this unforgivable outburst? As reported in the Post, Cllr Jethwa was supporting a Tory proposal for funding cuts. In an interview with the Post, she said: "This authority is spending many millions of pounds specifically on Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) projects and groups. This expenditure covers a huge array of spending areas ranging from adult community care, youth provision, housing, racial social awareness and improving educational attainment. One has to ask how effective many of the measures we have adopted are in the long term."

There is a certain truth to these concerns; there is also a certain naivety. For a long time now, I too have been arguing that a lot of money is being pumped into community groups that have little or no output. But the answer is not to cut funding from all of them; it is to have more effective evaluation and accountability processes.

To question the supposed millions of pounds being spent on BME communities is also misleading. BME communities also pay taxes. They also have a right to expect services and facilities that cater for their specific needs, as we all do. I would understand the mindset behind the Tory proposal if it also wanted, for example, to cut the funding of the Bristol Domestic Abuse Forum (BDAF) because, despite its existence, we still have rampant domestic abuse in our city.

What the Tory proposal seems to forget are the many individuals who have had their lives transformed for the better and even saved by the existence of the BDAF. The same applies to the many BME groups that deliver equally vital services. Without many of them, Bristol would be a far more divided city.

The fact that some of our communities are still facing major problems in Bristol indicates the scale of the situation we are facing. It shows what community groups are up against and shows we need more funding, not less.

Cllr Jethwa also spoke of her own experiences as an immigrant from Uganda, working hard to succeed and not having to rely on such community groups. She should count herself lucky; immigrant communities always work hard but not all succeed.

In a recession, it is tempting for politicians to target the more vulnerable in our communities for whatever reason, whether to save money or for political expediency. It is for that very reason that in times like these, we should remind them of their responsibilities to all the people of our city.