Labour frontbencher smears the Government as wanting to clear central London of black and ethnic minority women

By Jonathan Isaby

Ever since the announcement was made last year, Labour have refused to accept that capping housing benefit at £20,000 per year is reasonable - despite the fact that people earning far less than that are currently paying their taxes to fund payments of housing benefit in excess of that amount.

And whilst Labour have been spreading all sorts of myths about the Government's intentions and motives, on Saturday the shadow Work and Pensions Minister, Karen Buck (pictured), hit a new low.

Not satisfied with having accused the Government of "social cleansing" last July, as she spoke alongside fellow Labour MPs Jeremy Corbyn and Emily Thornberry at a public meeting in Islington at the weekend, this evolved into ethnic cleansing.

Here's exactly what she had to say:

"The agenda of the Government is one that is deeply hostile to middle and lower income women having children... When you hear it... the Tories speaking in Parliament, there is an arrogance and an ignorance that I have never known in my thirteen years in Parliament - basically thinking that anyone whose income is probably below the top rate of tax shouldn't have children."

"Housing benefit is being cut by nearly £2 billion. And in central London - whole swathes of the city - nobody will be able to rent anything in the private rented sector and that includes large chunks of Islington, all of Westminster, all of Wandsworth, almost all of Camden, chunks of Barnet, Brent, Tower Hamlets. It's not just Knightsbridge.  This is virtually the whole of central London.  And this is a clear political message: they do not want lower income women, families - not just women, but families - children and above all, let us be very clear, because we also know where the impact is hitting, they don't want black women and they don't want ethnic minority women and they don't want Muslim women living in central London. They just don't!"

Click here to listen to her words for yourself.

A disgusted Conservative Party Co-Chairman, Baroness Warsi, has responded by concluding that  "reactionary politics is alive and well in the Labour Party" and calling on ed Miliband to sack her from his frontbench:

"For Karen Buck to use race, religion and class for political point-scoring is deeply offensive and irresponsible. It seriously questions Ed Miliband's judgement if he thinks that Karen Buck is the right person for this important role."

This morning's Independent carries the story and Buck is standing by the substance of her remarks, which quoted her as saying:

"I am very, very concerned about the impact of these cuts on black, Muslim and ethnic minority households, in particular. In the passion of a political meeting I was wrong to imply motive on behalf of Government ministers. I can't say what their intention and motives are. I can only say my concern is about the impact that these cuts will have."