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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Dan Bloom

BBC apologises after mixing up two black female Labour MPs on live TV

The BBC has apologised after wrongly labelling a completely different black female MP as Labour's equality chief.

Dawn Butler, Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary, said "diversity in the workplace matters" after she was labelled as Shadow Minister for Disabled People Marsha De Cordova.

The mixup happened during coverage of the Agriculture Bill debate in the Commons on BBC Parliament.

Ms Butler, who is standing to be Labour's deputy leader, tweeted: "I love my sister Marsha de Cordova but we are two different people.

"Marsha is amazing and deserves to be called by her own name.

Dawn Butler, who is standing to be Labour's deputy leader, tweeted: "I love my sister Marsha de Cordova but we are two different people" (Finnbarr Webster)

"Diversity in the workplace matters - it also helps to avoid making simple mistakes like this."

Ms Cordova demanded an apology from the BBC.

She tweeted: "This is what happens when the media does not represent the society it reports on. Representation matters.

"Diversity matters. This cannot continue."

Marsha de Cordova demanded an apology from the BBC (GetWestLondon)

This morning she added: "It’s not ok at all. Still no apology."

A few hours later BBC Parliament issued an apology. A spokesman said: "We sincerely apologise for this mistake.

"Sometimes we incorrectly identify MPs at the moment when they stand to speak. This error was immediately corrected on screen."

It comes after politicians and commentators complained about a series of mix-ups involving BBC news footage in recent months - some with a racial element.

Last week the BBC apologised for using footage of NBA colleague LeBron James in a story about Kobe Bryant.

Meanwhile, during the election the Corporation accidentally used a past year's footage of Boris Johnson laying a remembrance wreath.

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