Labour Shadow Home Secretary, Diane Abbott, has been suspended from the party after it emerged she was accused of using a racist slur during a public discussion about the Conservative Government.
Diane Abbott, the MP for Hackney North & Stoke Newington, used the phrase at an event in London to describe the prospect of the UK leaving the EU in negotiations led by David Davies and the Tory Front Bench.
The meeting of local businessmen and Labour supporters at The Elephant & Castle Trading Company Club, heard Mrs Abbott openly say “crackers….they are all crackers…”
She told the BBC: “The comment was totally unintentional. I apologise unreservedly for any offence caused.”
The Labour Party later confirmed she had had the whip withdrawn. Announcing the suspension, Jeremy Corbyn said he was “shocked” by the “completely unacceptable” language.
“I immediately asked the chief whip to suspend the party whip,” he said in a statement. “Language like this has absolutely no place in politics or in today’s society.”
Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said this was “the tip of a particularly unsavoury ice-berg”. He continued “What is particularly upsetting was the response of her audience. This dreadful comment went completely unchallenged. I am afraid there is a deeper, systemic problem at work here.
It’s almost like everybody thinks all the Tory senior leaders are crackers after all.”
Rachel Slur, Tory MP for Whitehaven said “I told Diane Abbott ‘I expected more respect from you people.’
