November 4, 2024, 09:02 | Updated: November 4, 2024, 9:15 a.m.

Conservative MP condemns Dawn Butler’s comments

By EJ Ward

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she strongly disagreed with a tweet a backbencher appeared to have reposted, saying Kemi Badenoch represented “white supremacy in black face”.

Speaking to LBC’s Nick Ferrari at breakfast, Ms Cooper said she had not seen the message Dawn Butler appeared to have shared.

“I haven’t seen the message, I clearly strongly disagree with it,” she said.

Asked why no action was taken against Ms Butler, she said: “As I said, I haven’t seen the post and I think those kinds of questions about party issues , they are always those of the Whip.”

Asked if the words in the message had a “racist sentiment”, Ms Cooper replied: “The words you have read are clearly appalling and I would strongly disagree with them.

“So I didn’t see the message. I don’t know the circumstances but I think we should congratulate Kemi Badenoch on his election.

“I will continue to disagree with her on all kinds of issues, but I nevertheless congratulate her on her election.”

Learn more: Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch appoints Rebecca Harris as chief whip for first time since victory

Learn more: Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch appoints Rebecca Harris as chief whip for first time since victory

The conversation comes as Sir Keir Starmer faces pressure to remove the Labor whip from backbencher Dawn Butler after she appeared to share a tweet describing Kemi Badenoch as a “member of the black aide class of white supremacy.

Ms Butler quickly deleted her retweet of a post by Nigerian-British author Nels Abbey, who responded to Ms Badenoch’s prospect of becoming Tory leader by describing “Badenochism” as “white supremacy in black”.

But she has been heavily criticized by conservative figures, with several calling for her to lose the Labor party whip post.

Ben Obese-Jecty, who was elected MP for Huntingdon in July, said Ms Butler was “not the only one on the government benches to share this view on Kemi”.

He said: ‘This will be a test to see whether Keir Starmer takes off the whip or whether he actually tolerates Butler’s abhorrent endorsement of this smear.’

But on Sunday evening, Labor showed no signs of withdrawing Ms Butler’s whip.

Sir Keir previously suspended Labor MPs’ whip post in response to comments about senior black Conservative politicians.

In 2022, he suspended Rupa Huq from the party for describing the then chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, as “superficially” black. Ms Huq apologized and had the whip restored six months later.

Other Labor figures, including Sir Keir and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, hailed Ms Badenoch’s election as the first black leader of a major British party as a historic moment.

In subsequent posts, Mr Abbey said his original comments were “clearly satirical” and “meant as a sketch”, but defended Ms Butler saying she “might not welcome the ascendancy of a black far-right reactionary.

He added: “Because of things like this, which constitute vehement political disagreement, it is both right and normal that many black people do not view Badenoch as (the opposition leader) as a ‘moment of pride in our nation’ in the same way that, say, Keir Starmer does (or is politically mandated to do).”