Britain's Conservative party has sacked Ms Ann Winterton from the parliamentary party over a joke about 20 mainly Chinese migrant workers who drowned earlier this month.
The workers, who were gathering cockles, were caught by rising tides in Morecambe Bay on February 5th.
Conservative leader Mr Michael Howard, who last week launched a high-profile campaign against racism, said Ms Winterton's comments were "completely unacceptable" and that the party whip had been withdrawn from her.A party spokesman said Ms Winterton, (62), member of parliament for Congleton, would keep her seat in the House of Commons.Ms Winterton told the joke at a dinner to promote relations between Britain and Denmark in central London on Tuesday, the
Daily Mirror
reported. Guests included politicians and industry figures.It is the second time Ms Winterton has been censured for making a racist joke.
She was sacked as shadow minister for agriculture in May 2002 for telling a joke at a rugby club function about Pakistanis.
"To make one racist joke is a misjudgment; to make two is rank bigotry," Labour MP Mr Peter Bradley told the
Mirror
.