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Tory MP sacked over racist remarks

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: A senior Tory MP was on Friday sacked from the party's front benches for making allegedly racist remarks against ethnic minority soldiers.

Patrick Mercer, who was his party's spokesman on homeland security, was given marching orders on the phone by his boss David Cameron who told him that racism had no place in the Tory party.

He acted after Mr Mercer, a former army officer, wrote on Times Online that he had come across "a lot of ethnic minority soldiers who were idle and useless but who used racism as cover for their misdemeanours''.

He was reacting to allegations of racism in the army against ethnic minority soldiers.

Mr Cameron, who is desperately trying to change his party's Right-wing image, said: "We should not tolerate racism in the army or any walk of life. Patrick Mercer is no longer a shadow minister.''

Mr Mercer regretted the remarks but denied he was racist.

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