British Labour Party Suspends MP For Calling UK Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng 'Superficially' Black

British Labour Party Suspends MP For Calling UK Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng 'Superficially' Black

  • A British Member of Parliament from the Labour Party has been suspended for racist comments against UK Finance Minister
  • The Minister, Kwasi Kwarteng, who is of Ghanaian descent, was described by the embattled MP as superficially black
  • The racial comments have been widely condemned by leading politicians across the United Kingdom and beyond

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The woes of a British Member of Parliament (MP) from the Labour Party are deepening by the day.

This is after the MP, Rupa Huq, allegedly made racial comments against Kwasi Kwarteng, the UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister).

A British MP has been suspended from the Labour Party for describing UK Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng as superficially black
L-R: British MP Rupa Huq and UK's first black Chancellor of Exchequer, Kwasi Kwarteng
Source: Getty Images

Kwasi Kwarteng: UK's Chancellor Of The Exchequer Is 'Superficially' Black - Rupa Huq

The British-born Ghanaian UK politician was described as superficially black in an audio recording posted online by the Guido Fawkes website.

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"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," Rupa Huq is quoted to have said.

According to UK-based Sky News, the embattled MP made the remarks about the UK's first black chancellor at a Labour conference fringe event on Monday entitled "What's Next for Labour's Agenda on Race?"

The racial comments have led to widespread criticism, with several leading politicians in the UK and beyond calling for a tough stance against the MP.

The Labour Party, in a swift reaction, also condemned the comments and called on the MP to apologise.

Rupa Huq was subsequently administratively suspended by the party pending an investigation into what she described as her "ill-judged" comments.

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Kwasi Kwarteng slammed on social media for smiling during Queen's funeral

In a post on her social media handle, Rupa Huq said she contacted Mr Kwarteng and apologised to him in person for her comments.

Kwasi Kwarteng: Meet UK's First Black Chancellor Of The Exchequer

Kwasi Kwarteng was born Akwasi Addo Alfred Kwarteng in Waltham Forest, East London, in May 1975 to Ghanaian parents Alfred and Charlotte.

His parents, who both immigrated to the United Kingdom from Ghana a decade earlier as students, gave him the best education in some of the prestigious schools in the United Kingdom.

His academic journey began at one of the expensive private prep schools that produced numerous Cabinet-level politicians. He later attended Eton college, famed for producing several British leaders, including Boris Johnson and David Cameron.

On September 6, 2022, Mr Kwarteng became the first black person to be appointed the UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer after the election of Prime Minister Liz Truss.

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Bawumia can’t solve Ghana’s problems, he’s the one creating them – Prof Hanke

UK PM Truss Under Fire As Pound Sinks

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the government of new British Prime Minister Liz Truss, of which Kwasi Kwarteng is part, came under pressure after the pound hit a record low against the dollar following last week's huge tax-cutting budget.

The main opposition Labour party lambasted Truss for the massive spending plans, which some economists warn could further fuel inflation.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Ekow Annan avatar

Ekow Annan Francis Ekow Annan writes for YEN.com.gh. He has been part of the Politics and Current Affairs Desk since August 2022. Ekow has over ten years of experience in news reporting via various multimedia channels, including TV, Radio, and Online. He is an experienced multimedia journalist specialising in telling impactful current affairs, politics and business stories. He holds a BA in Communications (Strategic Communications) from the prestigious African University College of Communications (AUCC).