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William Hague forced MP John Townsend to apologise today for his �racist� remarks on multiculturalism in Britain. �I entirely accept that racism has no place in the Conservative Party and am very sorry that ill chosen words by me may have given a different impression,� said MP John Townsend. |
| Since William Hague refused to kick MP John Townsend out of the Conservative Party, for his comments about a �mongrel race�, he has received continuous pressure from the Conservative�s most senior black figure, Lord Taylor of Warwick. | |
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Lord Taylor was threatening to resign yesterday if action was not taken, and upon hearing of MP Townsend�s apology he said it was �meaningless and worthless�. William Hague today also received further pressure from Baroness Flather, and the Tory Reform Group.
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| William Hague said that sacking MP Townsend would only give him and his comments more publicity. After MP Townsend apologised this afternoon, William Hague told the BBC: �We mean business about being an inclusive party which has no truck with racism�. | |
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William Hague had been accused of being a �pathetic� and �weak� leader for allowing the East Yorkshire MP to remain in the party as long as he remains silent. Lord Taylor said: �by doing nothing William Hague is in effect endorsing this racist MP.� �I am a black man in the Conservative Party. One of the few that they have got and I can�t stand back and say nothing,� said Lord Taylor. �On at least three occasions Mr Townsend has uttered racist remarks and William Hague has done nothing�. |
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Baroness Flather followed Lord Taylor�s lead, but urged him: �if we resign, we fail to have any influence on the Tory Party and I don�t think that is good for the Tory Party.� The Tory Reform Group chairman, Giles Marshall said: �we endorse the call made by Lord Taylor of Warwick for John Taylor MP to be expelled from the Conservative Party.� | |
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William Hague said: �we were the first party to have a Jewish leader, we were the first to have a woman leader and we will be the first party to have an Asian leader. We are a party that will continue to bring together people from many different backgrounds�. MP Townsend denies he is racist, saying that his comments were supposed to raise issues about immigration. |
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About Lord Taylor�s position in the Conservative Party and the possibility of defecting to the Labour Party, a spokesman for the Labour Party said: �we are not aware that anybody in the government has approached Lord Taylor�.
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