A former Labour MP has said she described BAME people as having a “funny tinge“ because she was “very, very tired”.
Angela Smith, who quit Labour yesterday along with six other MPs, sparked a row after making the comment on BBC’s Politics Live.
Arguing that Jewish people suffer similar “alienation” to other ethnic minority communities, she said: “It’s not just about colour. The recent history of the party I’ve just left suggests that it’s not just about being black or a funny tinge, you know, different - from the BME community.
“The Jewish community equally suffers the same kind of cultural alienation.”
She apologised after her use of the term “funny tinge” was widely criticised, saying in a video posted online: “I have seen the clip from Politics Live. I am very sorry about any offence caused and I am very upset that I misspoke so badly.
“It’s not what I am, I am committed to fighting racism wherever I find it in our society.”
Asked about the row during an interview on Sky News, Ms Smith blamed tiredness for the gaffe.
She said: ”I never meant to say that. I misspoke really badly. I was very, very tired at that point – I’d had six hours of press engagement and I was very tired.
“I was very tired. I misspoke really, really badly and that’s not who I am. I’m very confident about that: it’s not who I am and I think anybody who knows me would verify that.”
Her description of BAME people sparked criticism from some of her former colleagues.
Labour MP Rupa Huq said: “They claim their new party is anti-racist and modern yet in the same breath describe black, Asian and minority ethnic people as having a ‘funny tinge’. This is, at best, the casual racism of the 1970s that I thought we’d long left behind. But it will strike many as an appalling, racist comment. Is the Independent Group going to investigate?”
