Boris Johnson’s office sparked an extraordinary row after refusing to distance the PM from an adviser who claimed black people were mentally inferior.
A spokesman repeatedly turned down questions on offensive remarks made by Andrew Sabisky, who reportedly works with controversial senior aide Dominic Cummings.
Sabisky’s extreme suggestions included a call in 2014 for compulsory contraception to stop a “permanent underclass”.
He said women’s sport was “more comparable” to the Paralympics than to men’s sport.
Sabisky previously suggested giving children mental performance-enhancing drugs is probably worth “a dead kid once a year”.
In an article posted online in 2014, he compared black and white American IQ levels, concluding a greater percentage of black people are “close to the typical boundary for mild mental retardation”.
He advocated for eugenics, a practice to improve genetic qualities favoured by the far right.
In an extraordinary media briefing, a spokesman for 10 Downing Street refused more than 30 times to say whether Johnson agrees with the views.
The spokesman would only say: “The Prime Minister’s views are well publicised and well documented.”
Asked to point to examples, the spokesman was unable to supply any evidence.
The spokesman still refused to engage after references were made to an article previously published by Johnson which described black people as “piccaninnies” with “watermelon smiles”.
The spokesman would not even say if Sabisky has a job in Downing Street.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Tory government needs to get a grip.
“These are really not acceptable headlines for any government to be generating or allowing to be generated.
“They need to get a grip fast and demonstrate some basic but fundamental values in the terms of our public debate.”
Labour party chairman Ian Lavery said: “It is disgusting that not only has Number 10 failed to condemn Andrew Sabisky’s appalling comments, but also seems to have endorsed the idea that white people are more intelligent than black people.
“Boris Johnson should have the backbone to make a statement in his own words on why he has made this appointment, whether he stands by it, and his own views on the subject of eugenics.”
