 |
William Hague forced MP John Townsend to apologise today for his “racist” remarks on multiculturalism in Britain. “I entirely accept that racism has no place in the Conservative Party and am very sorry that ill chosen words by me may have given a different impression,” said MP John Townsend. |
| Since William Hague refused to kick MP John Townsend out of the Conservative Party, for his comments about a “mongrel race”, he has received continuous pressure from the Conservative’s most senior black figure, Lord Taylor of Warwick. | |
|
Lord Taylor was threatening to resign yesterday if action was not taken, and upon hearing of MP Townsend’s apology he said it was “meaningless and worthless”. William Hague today also received further pressure from Baroness Flather, and the Tory Reform Group.
| |
| William Hague said that sacking MP Townsend would only give him and his comments more publicity. After MP Townsend apologised this afternoon, William Hague told the BBC: “We mean business about being an inclusive party which has no truck with racism”. | |
|
William Hague had been accused of being a “pathetic” and “weak” leader for allowing the East Yorkshire MP to remain in the party as long as he remains silent. Lord Taylor said: “by doing nothing William Hague is in effect endorsing this racist MP.” “I am a black man in the Conservative Party. One of the few that they have got and I can’t stand back and say nothing,” said Lord Taylor. “On at least three occasions Mr Townsend has uttered racist remarks and William Hague has done nothing”. |
 |
|
Baroness Flather followed Lord Taylor’s lead, but urged him: “if we resign, we fail to have any influence on the Tory Party and I don’t think that is good for the Tory Party.” The Tory Reform Group chairman, Giles Marshall said: “we endorse the call made by Lord Taylor of Warwick for John Taylor MP to be expelled from the Conservative Party.” | |
 |
William Hague said: “we were the first party to have a Jewish leader, we were the first to have a woman leader and we will be the first party to have an Asian leader. We are a party that will continue to bring together people from many different backgrounds”. MP Townsend denies he is racist, saying that his comments were supposed to raise issues about immigration. |
|
About Lord Taylor’s position in the Conservative Party and the possibility of defecting to the Labour Party, a spokesman for the Labour Party said: “we are not aware that anybody in the government has approached Lord Taylor”.
| |
 comment piece follows... |
| Home | My CV | My work | Fave pics | Hot links |