MP PHILIP Davies reacted angrily after a Liberal Democrat Cabinet minister suggested he had a “problem with racial equality”.

And he vowed the attack – by Business Secretary Vince Cable – would not stop him speaking out in opposition to quotas based on race, religion or gender.

The Commons clash came after Mr Davies urged Dr Cable not to tackle the lack of black and Asian people in City boardrooms by imposing quotas.

Speaking during business questions, the Conservative backbencher said: “Some people, like me, believe that all appointments should be made on merit.

“The Secretary of State seems to be in a league of his own as a politically correct champion who believes neither in merit, nor in representation.”

In reply, Dr Cable said: “I certainly do believe in merit - I do not believe in quotas.”

And he added: “I know that he has written 19 letters to Mr Trevor Phillips [former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission] on the subject of race and political correctness, which leads me to believe that he might have a problem with the concept of racial equality.”