Ealing Central and Acton MP sanctioned for comments made about the Chancellor
Rupa Huq (right) at the Labour Party fringe meeting. Picture: Twitter/Guido Fawkes
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Rupa Huq, the MP for Ealing Central and Acton, has had her Labour Party whip suspended following comments she made about the Chancellor.
The suspension is understood to have come into effect this Tuesday afternoon (27 September) after a recording emerged of her speaking about Kwasi Kwarteng at a fringe meeting at the Labour party conference in Liverpool the night before.
The event, What's Next for Labour's Agenda on Race, was hosted by British Future and the Black Equity Organisation and also attended by the party’s chair, Anneliese Dodds. The local MP can be heard in a clip, published by the Guido Fawkes website, saying, “I’m sorry if I was not making myself understood clearly. He superficially is a black man.”
She added that he had gone to one of the top schools in the country and that you wouldn’t know he was black if you heard him on Radio 4’s Today programme.
Her comments were labelled ‘racist and disgusting’ by Tory Party chair Jake Berry in a letter to Sir Keir Starmer. Angela Rayner, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, described them as ‘unacceptable’ and called on Rupa Huq to apologise. Labour’s foreign affairs spokesman David Lammy described the remarks as "unfortunate" adding, "I wouldn't have made them myself."
Sajid Javid, Mr Kwarteng’s predecessor as Chancellor, said he was "appalled and saddened" by what was said adding, "Rather than give encouragement to racists and people who seek to divide us, she should know better. Not too late for her to show that she does."
Following the suspension Rupa Huq posted on Twitter, "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."
While suspended Rupa Huq will continue to sit in the House of Commons as an independent MP.
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September 27, 2022
