Home Secretary manufacturers MP’s ‘white supremacy’ repost about Kemi Badenoch ‘appalling’

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said she strongly disagrees with a tweet that a Labour MP appeared to repost saying Kemi Badenoch represents “white supremacy in blackface”.

Ms Cooper said she did not see the post that Dawn Butler reportedly shared but said the alleged comments were “clearly appalling”. She told LBC: “I didn’t see the post, I clearly strongly disagree with that.” A spokesman for the PM said Keir Starmer “is clear that those comments are wrong” and pointed to Ms Cooper’s words. Ms Butler swiftly deleted her repost, which she shared from a journalist Nels Abbey.

The Prime Minister is under pressure to remove the whip from Ms Butler from Tory figures. Pressed on why no action had been taken against Ms Butler, Ms Cooper said: “As I said, I haven’t seen the post and I think those sorts of issues around party issues, those are always ones for the Whip.”

Asked whether the words in the post had a “racist sentiment”, Ms Cooper said: “The words that you have read out are clearly appalling and I would strongly disagree with them.

“So, I haven’t seen the post. I don’t know the circumstances around it but I think we should congratulate Kemi Badenoch on her election. I will continue to disagree with her on all sorts of issues, but, nevertheless, I congratulate her on her election.”

Labour sources highlighted that Ms Butler quickly deleted her repost. Mr Abbey’s post was titled Warning: Seven rules for surviving a Kemi Badenoch victory. It said: “Today the most prominent member of white supremacy’s black collaborator class (in Britain) is likely to be made leader of the Conservative Party. Here are some handy tips for surviving the immediate surge of Badenochism (i.e. white supremacy in blackface).

“Don’t allow yourself to be gaslit. Of course, a victory for Badenoch is an obvious, unprecedented and once inconceivable victory for racism… Don’t get arrested… The police don’t do nuance, and they conveniently refuse to understand black and brown intra-communal language or forms of critique, satire or compliment e.g. coconut, Uncle Tom, Aunt Kemi, house negro, choc ice etc.” Such terms including “house negro” or “coconut” are used to accuse people of colour of betraying their race or culture.

Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng called for Ms Butler to lose the whip as he said the post was “hateful”. Tory MP Ben Obese-Jecty said: “It never takes much for Labour’s mask to slip. Dawn Butler is not alone on the Government benches in holding this view of Kemi. This will be a test to see whether Keir Starmer removes the whip, or effectively condones Butler’s abhorrent approval of this smear?”

Mr Starmer congratulated Ms Badenoch on being elected the new Tory leader on Saturday after she beat Robert Jenrick in the race to replace Rishi Sunak. The PM said: “Congratulations Kemi Badenoch, on becoming the Conservative Party’s new leader. The first Black leader of a Westminster party is a proud moment for our country. I look forward to working with you and your party in the interests of the British people.”