Tory MP sacked over cockler joke
Tory MP Ann Winterton has been booted out of her party after publicly joking about the deaths of 20 Chinese cockle pickers, who drowned in Morecambe Bay on February 5th.
Michael Howard said he was withdrawing the whip from the Congelton MP after she refused to apologise for the joke.
She reportedly referred to two sharks who were sick of eating tuna and so one said: “Let’s go to Morecambe for a Chinese.”
Her comments were made during an after-dinner speech to the all-party Anglo-Danish friendship group, it is reported. Mr Howard said the comments were completely unacceptable.
“Ann Winterton’s remarks about the tragic deaths in Morecambe Bay were completely unacceptable. Such sentiments have no place in the Conservative Party.
“I deplore them and I apologise for them on behalf of my party.
“As a result of her refusal to withdraw and apologise for them, the Conservative whip has been withdrawn from Ann Winterton,” the Tory leader said.
Mrs Winterton was sacked from the Tory front bench two years ago after joking about Pakistanis being thrown off a train.
Nick Palmer, the Labour MP for Broxtowe, who was present at the dinner, said the joke was “beyond the pale”.
“Everybody looked a bit embarrassed and one of the Danes swiftly suggested another drink,” he added.
