Cloudy 4°C / 5°C
IAIN Duncan Smith yesterday sacked his frontbench colleague, Ann Winterton, for telling an "offensive and unacceptable" racist joke at a rugby club dinner.
The Conservative leader offered Mrs Winterton, his shadow agriculture spokeswoman, the choice of resigning, but she claimed her unreserved apology was sufficient.
On Friday night, Mrs Winterton had told guests at the Congleton Rugby Club dinner, in her Cheshire constituency, a "joke" about an Englishman throwing a Pakistani out of a railway carriage as they were "ten a penny" in this country.
Mr Duncan Smith demanded her resignation after a succession of leading Conservatives spoke out against Mrs Winterton. Theresa May, the shadow transport secretary, described her comments as "unfortunate".
Mrs Winterton, the wife of fellow Tory MP Nicholas Winterton, made her remarks the day after the BNP won three council seats in Burnley, only 30 miles from Congleton.
Conservative Central Office said Mr Duncan Smith viewed her remarks as "unacceptable and offensive, particularly in the light of heightened sensitivity surrounding race relations".
The Commission for Racial Equality said it was "encouraged" by Mr Duncan Smith’s swift action.
The black Conservative peer, Lord Taylor, who earlier called on the Tory leader to sack Mrs Winterton, also praised him, comparing his action with the dithering by William Hague when the former Tory MP, John Townend, made an allegedly racist remark.
Mr Winterton refused to condemn his wife. He said: "Am I a racist? No. Is my wife a racist? No. If she has offended anybody, she has apologised."
Almost Done!
By registering you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions of the website.