Conservatives ‘don’t want black women in central London’
By politics.co.uk staff
The Conservatives want “black women, ethnic minority women and Muslim women” out of central London, a Labour frontbencher has said.
Karen Buck, shadow work and pensions minister, made the comments to a public meeting in Islington, according to the Independent.
“[The government] do not want lower-income women, families, children and, above all, let us be very clear – because we also know where the impact is hitting – they don’t want black women, they don’t want ethnic minority women and they don’t want Muslim women living in central London,” she was reported as saying.
“They just don’t. They want people to be moving out of anywhere that is a more prosperous area into the fringes of London and into places like Barking and Newham. I have nothing against Barking and Newham. The problem is they are already full of people who are quite poor,” she continued.
“The government is one that is deeply hostile to middle- and lower-income women having children.
“When you listen to the Tories speaking in parliament, there is an arrogance and an ignorance that I have never known in my 13 years in parliament: basically, thinking that anyone whose income is below the top rate of tax shouldn’t have children.”
Baroness Warsi reacted angrily to the comments, saying they proved reactionary politics were “alive and well in the Labour party”.
“For Karen Buck to use race, religion and class for political point-scoring is deeply offensive and irresponsible,” she said.
The comments come after Labour MP Chris Bryant branded housing plans a form of social cleansing, a remark Nick Clegg rejected as “deeply offensive”.
Ms Buck offered a qualified defence of her comments to the Independent.
“I am very, very concerned about the impact of these cuts on black, Muslim and ethnic minority households, in particular,” she said.
“In the passion of a political meeting I was wrong to imply motive on behalf of government ministers. I can’t say what their intention and motives are.
“I can only say my concern is about the impact that these cuts will have.”
