Sarah Champion quits role in Labour's top team
The Rotherham MP apologised for 'poor choice of words' in newspaper article
Rotherham MP Sarah Champion has quit her role in Labour’s top team, and said sorry for her ‘extremely poor choice of words’ in a newspaper article about child abuse.
The Labour MP’s resigned as shadow women and equalities secretary.
In an article for The Sun on Friday, she warned Britain has “a problem with British Pakistani men raping and exploiting white girls.”
In a statement, she’s now said: “I apologise for the offence caused by the extremely poor choice of words in The Sun article on Friday.
“I am concerned that my continued position in the shadow cabinet would distract from the crucial issues around child protection which I have campaigned on my entire political career.
“It is therefore with regret that I tender my resignation as shadow secretary of state for women and equalities.''
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “I have accepted Sarah Champion's resignation and thank her for her work in the shadow cabinet. I look forward to working together in future.''
The column in The Sun followed an interview for the BBC last Thursday in which Sarah warned people are not raising potential cases of child abuse because they fear being labelled racist.
Her remarks came after 18 people were convicted of or admitted offences in a series of trials related to child sexual exploitation in Newcastle.
Sarah then sought to distance herself from the article, claiming it had been altered.
But a spokeswoman for The Sun said: “Sarah Champion's column, as it appeared on Friday, was approved by her team and her adviser twice contacted us thereafter to say she was 'thrilled' with the piece and it 'looked great'.
“Indeed, her only objection after the article appeared was her belief that her picture byline looked unflattering. Her office submitted five new pictures for further use.”
Sarah was one of more than 100 MPs and peers who later complained about “Nazi-like'' language in The Sun following a comment piece by Trevor Kavanagh in which he asked what could be done about the Muslim Problem''