Forcing states to comply with Section 5 now because of a formula using 1972 data demeans their right to "equal dignity" with states whose election laws are presumptively valid, he said.

WSJ: Voting Act Under Scrutiny

For Labour, shadow chancellor Ed Balls called Mr Osborne's remarks the "cynical act of a desperate chancellor", adding that "to link this wider debate to this shocking crime is nasty and divisive and demeans his office".

BBC: Mick Philpott case: Cameron backs Osborne over comments

One of the reasons race is treated as a forbidden classification is that it demeans the dignity and worth of a person to be judged by ancestry instead of by his or her own merit and essential qualities.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Death wish

Forcing states such as Alabama, Mississippi and Texas to comply with Section 5 today because of a formula using 1972 voter data demeans their right to "equal dignity" with states whose election laws are presumptively valid, Mr. Rein said.

WSJ: Justices Question Aspects of Voting Rights Act