Labour MP Rupa Huq has whip suspended after calling Kwasi Kwarteng ‘superficially black’

Labour has been suspended MP Rupa Huq after she sparked outrage over her comments describing Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng as “superficially” black.

Ms Huq, who represents Ealing Central and Acton in West London, was recorded during a fringe meeting at Labour conference referring to Mr Kwarteng’s private school background, and added “you wouldn’t know he was black”.

The comments prompted Sir Keir Starmer to effectively remove the party whip from the backbencher after she was criticised by Angela Rayner and David Lammy.

The Conservatives accused her of “vile racism”, and demanded she face disciplinary action.

A Labour spokesman confirmed that she had lost the party whip adding: “We obviously condemn the remarks she made and call on her to withdraw them.”

In audio published online by political website Guido Fawkes, Ms Huq can be heard discussing Mr Kwarteng’s elite school background, adding: “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.”

Tory party chairman Jake Berry raised his “serious concerns” in a letter to Sir Keir, with the audio being published by the Guido Fawkes website shortly before his conference speech.

“I trust you will join me in unequivocally condemning these comments as nothing less than racist and that the Labour whip be withdrawn from Rupa Huq as a consequence,” he wrote.

Mr Berry said that Sunder Katwala, who was chairing the event for the British Future and Black Equity organisations, was forced to challenge her remarks.

According to the Tory MP, Mr Katwala said that the Chancellor’s Conservative views “doesn’t make him not black … and I think the Labour Party has to be really careful”.

Ms Rayner told BBC Politics Live: “She should apologise for those comments.

“For me those comments are completely unacceptable.

“I think Rupa needs to reflect on what she has said and she needs to take immediate action.”