Ann Winterton
Lady Winterton | |
---|---|
Constituency Created | |
Succeeded by | Fiona Bruce |
Personal details | |
Born | Jane Ann Hodgson 6 March 1941 Sir Nicholas Winterton |
Jane Ann, Lady Winterton (née Hodgson; born 6 March 1941 in
Parliamentary career
Winterton was educated at
Racism
Winterton became Shadow Minister for Agriculture in 2001,[1] and was later sacked from that position after she told the following joke at a dinner at Congleton rugby on 3 May 2002:[3]
- An Pakistaniwere all on a train.
- The Cuban threw a fine Havana cigar out the window. When he was asked why, he replied: "They are ten a penny in my country."
- The Japanese man threw an expensive Nikon camera out of the carriage, adding: "These are ten a penny in my country."
- The Englishman then picked up the Pakistani and threw him out of the train window.
- When the other travellers asked him to account for his actions, he said: "They are ten a penny in my country."'[4]
In February 2004 she had the Conservative whip removed for telling the following joke (which alluded to the recent death of twenty-three illegal immigrant Chinese cockle-pickers in Morecambe Bay) at a Whitehall private dinner party to improve Denmark–United Kingdom relations and declining to apologise:
- One shark turned to the other to say he was fed up chasing tuna and the other said, "Why don't we go to Morecambe Bay and get some Chinese?"[5]
A month later, Winterton apologised for the joke, and had the whip restored.
Nick Palmer, then Labour MP for Broxtowe, who was at the dinner, criticised the joke and told BBC Radio 4's Today, "People were a bit stunned really. It was a very low-key friendly dinner. I was very sorry for the host – it was just a group of people discussing Danish issues."[8]
Michael Howard, leader of the Conservatives, said, "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."[8]
In September 2005 (following the May general election), Winterton said she felt that Britain is a country where:[9]
- "Crime is out of control ... and where thousands of illegal immigrants are waved in with no checks on whether they are criminals or potential terrorists. [...] We live in times of tremendous change, but the United Kingdom is still, thankfully, a predominantly white, Christian country. [...] Some might say we are now paying the price for the so-called 'benefits' of the multicultural society, the product of almost uncontrolled immigration and the abuse of asylum."[10]
Along with her husband, she managed to ask questions at Tony Blair's last Prime Minister's Questions in 2007.[11]
MPs' misuse of expenses
Together with
Awards
- Cheshire life Woman of the year[15]
Bibliography
- Hames, Tim (2005). Times Guide to the House of Commons 2005. ISBN 978-0-00-721182-1.
References
- ^ a b c "Politics". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 26 May 2007.
- ^ "Curtain rises on theatre extension". Warrington Guardian. 25 October 2001. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "Ann is not a racist, say councillors". Warrington Guardian. 8 May 2002. Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ Beattie, Jason (6 May 2002). "No laughing matter as Tories kick out high-flyer". Scotsman. Edinburgh. Archived from the original on 9 July 2002. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
- ^ France, Anthony (26 February 2004). "Howard sacks MP for cockle tragedy joke". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
- ^ "Cockler joke MP returns to Tories". BBC News. 31 March 2004. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
- ^ "Black peer and Tory grandee in race row". Birmingham Post. 24 April 2004. Archived from the original on 12 June 2004. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
- ^ a b "Tories disown cockler joke". BBC News. 26 February 2004. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
- ^ "MP's article 'highly offensive'". BBC News. 26 September 2005. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ "British MP faces inquiry over racist remarks". DNA India.
- ^ "Tony Blair's last Prime Minister's Questions 27 June 2007". Youtube. UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
- ^ Porter, Andrew (18 June 2008). "Conservative MPs Sir Nicholas and Ann Winterton broke Commons expenses rules". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
- ^ "MP pair to step down at election". BBC News. 25 May 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
- ^ "How your MP voted on the FOI Bill". The Times. London. 20 May 2007.
- The Congleton Chronicle. 3 March 2022. p. 6.