SHAMED Scottish Labour MP Hugh Gaffney should “consider his position” after he admitted to making racist and homophobic remarks, a senior politician has said.
SNP transport minister Humza Yousaf said Mr Gaffney should “at the very least” face suspension after an offensive speech he made at a Burns supper.
During the event at Edinburgh University, Mr Gaffney made reference to a “chinky” takeaway meal and joked about Robert Burns not being “bent”.
The MP for Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill has since apologised, with Scottish Labour insisting it has a “zero tolerance approach to racism”.
But Mr Yousaf insisted Labour’s failure to take further action was “a slap in the face for every single ethnic minority in the country”.
He added: “If an MP used any other racial slur, I don’t think we would say that person would be fit to hold office.”
It comes after it emerged Mr Gaffney had an enjoyed an all-expenses paid trip to China just weeks before his outburst.
He visted Guangdong and Guangxi during the five-day trip in November, at a cost of more than £1,600.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Yousaf said: “Labour members themselves, MSPs are coming up to me in the chamber at parliament to say they are utterly appalled at their party's stance on this.”
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard yesterday announced new plans to promote diversity and stamp out intolerance within the party.
These include considering an eight-point plan submitted by Anas Sarwar MSP to challenge everyday racism.
Mr Sarwar spoke out about his own experiences with racism last month, claiming an elected councillor told him he could not back him because he was a "brown, Muslim Paki".
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