I'll nick ludwig's post from the other thread, which is 100%
spot on and which I agree with wholeheartedly:
ludwig
Accusations of racism are losing their effect because they're so overused, it's all become a bit a joke.
It's like the word has lost it's meaning having been aimed initially at racists (correctly), but then morphing to include anyone expressing concern about immigration, islamist terrorism, the EU, or basically anyone else the accuser didn't like on the basis they held right wing views.
People shouting the word without thinking are starting to look stupider than the person they're shouting it at.
A Labour politician said exactly that following the Thornberry faux pas and that his party had better start listening to the working man on the street, whom they no longer represent.