Labour MP Rupa Huq apologises for calling Kwasi Kwarteng 'superficially' black

Labour MP Rupa Haq has apologised for her remarks that described Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng as "superficially" black.

Her remarks on Kwarteng led to widespread criticism, forcing her to issue an apology for the same.

Haq was speaking during a Q&A session at a Labour Party conference fringe event when she 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," added the Ealing Central and Acton MP. Her comments were made public by the Guido Fawkes website.

The MP was recorded making the comments during the event entitled "What's Next for Labour's Agenda on Race" on Monday evening.

The chair of the Q&A session, British Future think-tank director Sunder Katwala, came to Kwarteng's defence, stating that his views "don't make him not black."

Haq has now been suspended from sitting as a Labour MP, pending an investigation. Party Leader Sir Keir Starmer did not comment on whether she would be sacked from the party or not. He said that the investigation should now "take its course."

Haq issued an apology after the publication of the audio clip on Tuesday. "I have today contacted Kwasi Kwarteng to offer my sincere and heartfelt apologies for the comments I made at yesterday's Labour conference fringe meeting," she wrote in a tweet.

"My comments were ill-judged and I wholeheartedly apologise to anyone affected." However, the apology has not been enough with several MPs calling her comments "racist" and "disgusting."

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said that the remarks were "unacceptable." While its foreign affairs spokesman, David Lammy, described them as "unfortunate." Conservative Party chair Jake Berry went on to call for Huq to lose the Labour whip.

Kwarteng, who became chancellor earlier this month, has Ghanaian heritage. He was born and brought up in the UK.