I'm not sure calling an Irish person a Paddy and inferring they are all thick as pig shit is TECHNICALLY racist, or even derogatory unless someone can prove it's not true?

But the fact is that ANYONE can decide something is racist under the race relations act, if they feel offended or aggrieved.

Agree with it or not, it's probably useful in a lot of circumstances and has actually got me out of a spot of bother in the past with a thug who called an ex of mine a Paki. If there weren't independant witnesses who classed his attack as racist, I would have been in a lot of shit.