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Labour shadow equalities minister in anti-Traveller storm

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

It is Good Friday today but a bad one for Labour frontbencher Charlotte Nichols. The 29-year-old Warrington North MP was elected in 2019 and despite her Corbynista credentials was named shadow minister for women and equalities by Keir Starmer in November. Six months on, Starmer may be having cause to regret such a rapid promotion today after Nichols inadvertently caused a storm over a classic ‘great response on the doorstop’ style tweet while out campaigning in Orford.

https://twitter.com/charlotte2153/status/1377713847142858752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

A Labour campaign leaflet which she was pictured delivering told residents Labour is ‘dealing with Traveller incursions’ causing an outcry from Labour Gypsy, Roma and Traveller campaigners. Nichols has now been forced to apologise saying she had not been aware of the ‘problematic’ definition of the term ‘incursion’ and that the leaflet has now been ‘destroyed’.

Already Nichols’ colleague Apsana Begum MP has had a veiled dig at her on Twitter while onetime deputy leader contender Laura Pidcock wrote: ‘this is just a disgrace and Labour Party need to investigate how this disgusting leaflet came about.’

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Steerpike
Written by
Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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