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GAFFE: Ann Winterton
Cockle joke Tory MP is defiant
Ian Craig26/ 2/2004
A NORTH West Tory MP remained defiant today over an offensive joke about the Chinese cockle pickers who drowned in Morecambe Bay.
Congleton MP Ann Winterton stunned an audience at a dinner when she told the joke about sharks eating the victims.
Tory Leader Michael Howard has withdrawn the whip from her which means she won't be able to take part in any party activities in the Commons.
The sacking also puts a question mark over her future in Congleton where she has been MP for more than 20 years.
But Lady Winterton, wife of Macclesfield MP Sir Nicholas Winterton, remained defiant today as the row over her comments continued - and vowed to continue serving the people of Congleton.
She said: "The decision by my party's leadership will not impact on my ability or determination to represent my constituents. I do not intend to comment about recent events other than to say it has never been my practice to discuss publicly conversations which took place at a private dinner party in a private flat."
A spokesman for the Conservative party said that since she had had the whip withdrawn from her she could no longer have any of the normal backing given to Conservative MPs.
Although she has not technically been thrown out of the Conservative party, she is no longer effectively a Tory MP. It is understood that in any case her membership may have lapsed anyway.
But it is understood that officials will make attempts to resolve the issue - if Lady Winterton apologises for the remarks.
Sentiments
It is the second time she has been rebuked for making an arguably "racist" joke. Mr Howard, who attacked the British National Party last week for racist policies apologised and said he deplored her action.
"Such sentiments have no place in the Conservative Party," said Mr Howard, who visited Morecambe last week.
Former Cabinet minister Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the new Tory candidate for Kensington and Chelsea, called on Lady Winterton, 62, to apologise for the "offensive" remark.
He said: "It doesn't help when someone makes a very stupid remark like that and then refuses to apologise.
"If you apologise people will understand that all of us make silly remarks from time to time and that can't be helped in some ways.
But you should acknowledge it and apologise properly and unambiguously."
The row broke as the Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw arrives in Morecambe to discuss safety issues after the incident last month when 20 Chinese cocklers were drowned by a racing tide.
The right-winger, made her latest gaffe at a dinner in Whitehall intended to improve Anglo-Danish relations. Two years ago she was sacked as shadow rural affairs minister after she joked, at a rugby club dinner, about Pakistanis being thrown out of a train window.
Labour MP Peter Bradley said that to make two racist jokes was "rank bigotry".
He added: "Mr Howard didn't have to go to Burnley to fight the racists. He should have stayed in Westminster and dealt with his own MPs."
Should Ann Winterton have been sacked for telling the cocklers joke?
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1/03/2004 at 11:40
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