David Lammy, MP for Tottenham, appeared today’s Daily Politics to talk about UKIP and allegations of racism. When asked about comments made by Nigel Farage about Romanians in a radio interview on Friday, Lammy replied:
“What Nigel Farage said over the weekend was racist. So I am clear, he is a racist.”
This is a step further than Ed Miliband went – on the Today programme this morning he reiterated his belief that what Farage said was “a racial slur”, but that the man himself was not racist. Indeed, when pushed on the issue Lammy said he did not feel it was worth getting into a “pedantic discussion of the difference between a racial slur and racism.”
Watch the full clip below:
UPDATE: In an interview with ITV News, Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has echoed Lamy’s remarks about Farage and racism – although does not namecheck the UKIP leader. She said:
“It’s not racist to be worried about immigration or to want stronger controls, but it is racist to some how stir up fears about Romanians living next door. So Ukip should say they were wrong on that.”
This will surely put pressure on Miliband to strengthen his own comments about Farage.
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