Howard sacks sick joke MP

Michael Howard has sacked a senior MP for making a joke about the drowned Chinese cocklepickers.

Vowing to purge racism from the party, Mr Howard withdrew the Tory whip from backbencher Ann Winterton, who laughed at the fate of the 20 workers who died in Morecambe Bay.

Mrs Winterton's remarks horrified guests at a dinner in honour of Anglo-Danish relations attended by industrialists, foreign dignitaries and MPs of all parties.

There was a stunned silence after she told guests a story of two sharks fed up with a diet of tuna, so one said: "Fancy going to Morecambe for a Chinese?"

Mr Howard's action leaves Mrs Winterton, 62, a parliamentary outcast. He took away the whip within two hours of hearing of her conduct. Tory officials said Mrs Winterton could have escaped with a lighter punishment if she had agreed to make a full and swift apology. But she flatly refused last night during a series of heated conversations with party figures.

In a statement released at 1am today, Mr Howard said he was apologising on behalf of the party, adding: "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."

Two years ago Mrs Winterton, who is married to MP Nick Winterton, was fired as agriculture spokesman after a joke about throwing a Pakistani out of a train window. Today, sources close to Mr Howard said he would "crack down hard" on any more such outbursts

The incident is hugely embarrassing, coming a week after he went to Burnley to make a speech attacking the racist British National Party.

Mr Howard was praised for his swift action against Mrs Winterton by black barrister and Tory peer Lord Taylor of Warwick.

He said: "Michael Howard was quite right to take quick and decisive action on sacking Ann Winterton. She simply does not learn from past mistakes.

"This is the second time she has made a racist, insensitive and totally unfunny remark.

"She's a well-educated woman, but with no common sense. I do not think she is fit to be a member of Parliament."

Labour MP Nick Palmer, who was at the dinner, said: "When people have died in such a horrible way, it seems awful to joke about it."

The Chinese community called the remarks "stupid" and ignorant. Thomas Chan, director of the Chinese In Britain Forum, said: "I think an apology is in order."

But he added the forum would not be making any formal complaint because of "the stupidity of an individual".

There was no sign of an apology from Mrs Winterton, who said: "It has never been my practice to discuss publicly conversations which took place at a private dinner party in a private flat.

"The decision by my party's leadership will not impact on my ability or determination to represent my constituents."