Labour MP for Ealing Central & Acton Dr Rupa Huq has apologised after she was suspended from the parliamentary party after she called the chancellor of the exchequer "superficially" black.

Speaking about Conservative minister Kwasi Kwarteng at a party conference fringe event entitled 'What's Next for Labour's Agenda on Race', Dr Huq also said: "If you hear him on the Today programme, you wouldn't know he's black."

Dr Huq, a former shadow Home Office minister, was recorded at the event hosted in Liverpool yesterday (Monday, 26 September) by British Future and the Black Equity Organisation. Among the attendees was Labour Party chair, Anneliese Dodds.

During a Q&A session, Dr Huq said: "He's superficially a black man but again he's got more in common (garbled). 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." You can hear the recording on the Guido Fawkes website via this link.

Mr Kwarteng, who became chancellor earlier this month, was born in east London and has Ghanaian heritage.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the remarks were "unacceptable", while the party's foreign affairs spokesman David Lammy described them as "unfortunate".

Former chancellor and Tory MP Sajid Javid said he was "appalled and saddened" by the clip adding: "Rather than give encouragement to racists and people who seek to divide us, she should know better. Not too late for her to show that she does."

In a letter to Sir Keir Starmer, Jake Berry MP urged the Labour leader to "join me in unequivocally condemning these comments as nothing less than racist".

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However, this afternoon Dr Huq has offered "sincere and heartfelt apologies", saying: "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.

"My comments were ill-judged and I wholeheartedly apologise to anyone affected."