SIR KEIR Starmer has suspended an MP who described Kwasi Kwarteng as “superficially” black.
Rupa Huq was criticised after a recording emerged of the comments made at a fringe event at the Labour conference on Monday.
In the audio, obtained by the Guido Fawkes website, Ms Huq can be heard saying: “Superficially he is a black man.
“He went to Eton, I think, he went to a very expensive prep school, all the way through, the top schools in the country.
“If you hear him on the Today programme, you wouldn’t know he is black.”
Sunder Katwala, who was chairing the event for the British Future and Black Equity organisations, challenged her on remarks, saying Mr Kwarteng’s views “doesn’t make him not black … and I think the Labour Party has to be really careful”.
The comments sparked outrage. Tory chairman Jake Berry demanded Sir Keir take action against the Ealing Central and Acton MP and join him in "unequivocally condemning these comments as nothing less than racist."
Ms Huq apologised for the remarks. She said: “I have today contacted Kwasi Kwarteng to offer my sincere and heartfelt apologies for the comments I made at yesterday’s Labour conference fringe meeting.
“My comments were ill-judged and I wholeheartedly apologise to anyone affected.”
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