Anne Marie Morris' local party does not want to lose her 'significant capabilities' despite 'n****r in woodpile' comment
3 min read
The president of Anne Marie Morris’ local Conservatives has said the party does not want to lose the MP’s “significant capabilities” despite her being recording using a racist phrase.
Ms Morris, the MP for Newton Abbott, said dropping out of the EU without a new agreement was a “real n****r in the woodpile” at a panel event in central London.
The Conservatives immediately launched an investigation involving the Prime Minister and subsequently suspended the whip from Ms Morris.
Cllr Sylvia Russell, the President of the Newton Abbott Conservative Association, said Ms Morris had “never put a foot wrong” and did not have “a racist thought in her head”.
When asked if the whip should have been suspended, Ms Morris said that was not for her to say, but she hoped “all fair-minded people” would accept the MP’s apology.
“It is very disappointing that Anne Marie finds herself in this situation for an unintentional comment that I am quite sure that she never intended to make.
“She’s served as our MP for the last eight years and she’s never put a foot wrong and she increased her majority substantially at the last election.
She told the BBC’s World at One: "I am sure that any suspension will be proportionate to what is involved. We don't want to lose the capabilities of such a good MP in Parliament as Anne Marie proved herself over the last eight years.
Ms Russell added Ms Morris is “mortified” and sometimes things come out when you are “speaking without a script”.
“It’s a metaphor that has been around for many years but it’s fallen out of our language and Anne Marie is the first person to acknowledge that it shouldn’t have been said and she’s apologised for it.”
At the exclusive East India Club event, Ms Morris argued only 7% of financial services in the UK would be affected by Brexit.
She added: “Now I’m sure there will be many people who’ll challenge that, but my response and my request is look at the detail, it isn’t all doom and gloom.
“Now we get to the real n****r in the woodpile which is in two years what happens if there is no deal?"
In a statement last night Mrs May said: "I was shocked to hear of these remarks, which are completely unacceptable. I immediately asked the chief whip to suspend the party whip.
"Language like this has absolutely no place in politics or in today’s society."
The phrase was common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the US to denote something considered to be suspicious or wrong.
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