Keighley MP Ann Cryer has warned against all-ethnic shortlists in elections saying it could be "potentially dynamite".

The Government is considering a report commissioned by equalities minister Harriet Harman which calls for ethnic minority-only shortlists to boost the number of black and Asian MPs.

The report is expected to recommend a change to race relations laws so such shortlists could be introduced in some seats at future general elections.

But Mrs Cryer said she feared they would raise many questions, including what constitutes an ethnic background.

She said some of her grandchildren also had Indian grandparents so wondered whether that meant they were from an ethnic background too.

She said: "If you get in to ethnic minority shortlists where does it end? Are we talking about people who are born here, who have families in Pakistan or other countries? What is the definition?

"This is potential dynamite. I am sure Harriet Harman will have the best of intentions. If we are going to bring in ethnic shortlists we face the problems in some cultures where having women in high-powered positions is still a problem.

"So then we would only have ethnic minority men, so this would be a move backwards if the shortlists were just men."

Written by Simon Woolley, of Operation Black Vote, it is said the report states that all-black shortlists would be needed for the next 20 years.

Cullingworth and Denholme MP Philip Davies said: "It is a crazy idea. People should be selected on merit and it should be irrelevant what skin colour they have as it could cause a huge amount of damage to race relations as it creates resentment.

"It is just a ridiculous idea which I will wholeheartedly oppose."