Works and Housing Minister Sen. David Burch yesterday hit back at what he felt were accusations made by another colleague in the Upper House that branded him a racist.

His typically outspoken outburst was, he explained later, a reaction to comments made yesterday evening by Sen. E.T. (Bob) Richards about the PLP stance on race.

Senator Richards ? who along with others addressed this general topic ? referred to a controversial remark allegedly made by Sen. Burch during a radio broadcast on August 7.

Sen. Burch is reported to have referred to anti-Independence callers on air on the Bermuda Speaks 107.5 show as as the United Bermuda Party?s ?house niggers?.

This sparked a letter of complaint from Shadow Works Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin to the Director of Telecommunications and the Human Rights Commission.

Senator Richards brought up this remark once again while in the process of accusing the PLP of general hypocrisy over the race issue.

A clearly stung Sen. Burch responded: ?I have today been accused of being a racist. I confess to being prejudiced because all people are. I?m prejudiced about a lot of things but I judge people as I find them, not necessarily on their colour.?

Asked later to explain exactly what he was referring to when he made these remarks, Sen Burch replied: ?Senator Richards said I was a racist.?

But Sen . Richards said of the debate: ?I didn?t call him a racist. I said that he had said this offensive thing.?

Sen. Burch also took the opportunity of yesterday?s Senate meeting to give his take on the matter of an errant e-mail sent by Premier Alex Scott.

The Premier was accused of racism after he misdirected an e-mail to white entertainer Tony Brannon instead of intended recipient Beverle Lottimore, Director of Communication and Information.

In it, he said he was ?getting tired of listening to, and taking crap from people who look and sound like Brannon?.

The Premier later apologised for the use of the word ?crap? but denied that his remarks had been a racial reference.

Seemingly unapologetic himself about using the word, Sen. Burch said: ?We had the Premier pilloried up and down the land.

?If you have ever had an e-mail from that boy (Brannon), it?s crap and it?s garbage and that?s not racist.?

He then called for what he termed ? a real discussion on race? stating: ?No one in this country has any real discussion on race. It?s all superfluous and fluff because if the PLP talks about race, we are accused of playing the race card.?