Rupa Huq was suspended from sitting as a Labor MP
London Mayor Sadiq Khan believes comments made by MP Rupa Huq about Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng were “racist”.
Ms Huq called Mr Kwarteng black “too black” at a Labor Party conference fringe event.
She has been suspended from sitting as a Labor MP, pending an investigation.
Mr Khan told BBC Radio London that the Ealing Central and Acton MP’s comments were “wrong” but insisted Huq was not a “racist”.
Ms Huq also said at the event: “If you heard him on the Today programme, you wouldn’t know he was black.”
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer also called the remarks “racist”, adding that he would let the investigation “take its course”.
He told BBC Breakfast: “I don’t mind telling that independent process what they should do.”
Ms Huq, who will now sit in Parliament as an independent, was recorded making comments on Monday afternoon at a fringe event called What’s Next for Labour’s Race Agenda.
The Guido Fawkes website published the audio clip moments before Sir Keir began his speech at the Labor Party conference in Liverpool.
‘She was wrong’
During a Q&A event, Mr Huq said: “He’s superficially black, but again he has more in common… he went to Eton, he went to a very expensive prep school, all the way through the best schools in the country.
“If you heard him on the Today program you wouldn’t know he was black.”
Mr Khan criticized his “friend” for her comments. “She was wrong,” said the mayor.
“She’s apologised, she shouldn’t have said that.”
“His understanding is that all black people speak a certain way and that all black people are classy.”
“Rupa is not racist but that comment was.”
Mr Khan said Ms Huq’s comments played into a stereotype that all black people were “one way”.
Mr Khan said he would speak to Mr Huq but hoped they would remain friends after the incident.
“I was very happy that she apologized,” he said.
“She doesn’t stop being my friend for saying something she shouldn’t have said.”
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