Rupa Huq MP's Kwasi Kwarteng remarks were racist - London mayor

Rupa Huq was suspended from sitting as a Labour MP

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan believes comments made by MP Rupa Huq about Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng were "racist".

Ms Huq called Mr Kwarteng "superficially" black at a Labour Party conference fringe event.

She has been suspended from sitting as a Labour MP, pending an investigation.

Mr Khan told BBC Radio London the Ealing Central and Acton MP's comments were "wrong" but confirmed Huq was "not racist".

Ms Huq also said at the event: "If you hear him on the Today programme, you wouldn't know he's black."

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also called the remarks "racist", adding he will let the investigation "take its course".

He told BBC Breakfast: "It's not for me to tell that independent process what they should do."

Ms Huq, who will now sit in Parliament as an independent, was recorded making the comments on Monday evening at a fringe event entitled What's Next for Labour's Agenda on Race.

The audio clip was published by the Guido Fawkes website minutes before Sir Keir began his speech to the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.

'She was wrong'

During a Q&A event, Ms Huq said: "He's superficially, he's, a black man but again he's got more in common... he went to Eton, he went to a very expensive prep school, all the way through top schools in the country.

"If you hear him on the Today programme you wouldn't know he's black."

Mr Khan criticised his "friend" for her remarks. "She was wrong," the mayor said.

"She has apologised, she should not have said that."

"What it infers is that all black people speak a certain way and all black people are working class."

"Rupa is not racist but that comment was."

Mr Khan said Ms Huq's comments played into a stereotype that all black people "are one way"

Mr Khan added he would be speaking with Ms Huq but hoped they could remain friends after the incident.

"I was really pleased she apologised," he added.

"She does not stop being my friend for saying something she should not have said."

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