Sir Keir Starmer has refused to remove the whip from a Labour MP who shared a social media post accusing Tory leader Kemi Badenoch of representing “white-supremacy in blackface”.
Labour MP Dawn Butler shared a post by Nigerian journalist Nels Abbey that offered “tips for surviving the immediate surge of Badenochism (ie white supremacy in blackface)”.
Butler, who served as Jeremy Corbyn’s Shadow Equalities Secretary, later deleted the post from her feed.
Labour sources noted the post was quickly taken down by Butler and pointed to the Prime Minister saying that Badenoch becoming the first black leader of a British party was “a proud moment for our country”.
However, ex-Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng yesterday slammed Butler over her decision to share the offensive post on the social media.
Speaking to Camilla Tominey on GB News, Kwarteng said: “On a personal level I’ve always got on with her, but her race-baiting is completely crazy.”
He added: “I genuinely think that given what she said, she should have the whip removed from her. There should be some discipline and some disciplinary measure against this kind of really hateful divisiveness.”
Kwarteng was at the heart of a separate Labour race row after Rupa Huq was suspended in 2022 for saying the ex-Spelthorne MP was only “superficially black”.
Huq regained the Labour whip six months later after apologising for her comments and undergoing anti-racism training.
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Reform UK casts major shadow over Tory Party as membership slumps
Reform UK has cast a major shadow over the Conservative Party as data reveals voter turnout in the Tory leadership contest hit a record low following the victory of Kemi Badenoch yesterday.
Despite Badenoch securing 53,806 votes against Jenrick’s 41,388, the contest was marked by a record-low turnout and the tightest margin of victory in Tory leadership history.
The result showed the Conservative Party’s electorate has shrunk by 23.6 per cent since 2022, with only 131,680 eligible voters this time (down from 172,437).
GB News also understands that Reform UK’s membership has grown to more than 93,000 as of November 3, 2024.