MP Rupa Huq has been administratively suspended from the Labour Party after she described Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng as “superficially” black, the PA news agency understands.
Ms Huq has offered Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng “sincere and heartfelt apologies” for her “ill-judged” comments describing him as “superficially” black.
Rupa Huq was sat alongside the Labour Party Chair Anneliese Dodds
UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor
Having initially stood by her remarks as they were widely criticised, Ms Huq said she had contacted Mr Kwarteng over the “ill-judged” comments made at a fringe event during the Labour Party conference.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was under pressure to remove the whip from the politician over the remarks that were criticised by Angela Rayner and David Lammy, as well as Tories.
In audio published online, Ms Huq can be heard discussing Mr Kwarteng’s elite school background, before adding that “you wouldn’t know he is black” when listening to him on the radio.
The comments were made at a fringe event at the Labour conference in Liverpool on Monday about the about the man who earlier this month became Britain’s first black Chancellor.
