LABOUR FRONTBENCHER Clive Lewis has said black members of the cabinet sold their souls and self respect to serve under ‘racist’ Boris Johnson.
The comments follow the promotion of Conservative party chairman James Cleverly.
Taking to Twitter, Mr Lewis said: "Genuine congratulations James. I mean it. I’m just sorry you & the other black members of that cabinet had to sell your souls & self-respect to get there.”
He added: "You serve under a racist PM and sit next to a minister for equalities previously fired for the Windrush scandal.
Cleverly then branded Lewis as ‘bitter’ and ‘scared’ of the newly re-energised Tories.
He replied to Mr Lewis and said: "Didn’t see this earlier, I’ve been in meetings. Busy being the Chairman of the Conservatives.
"Really surprised that you’re so bitter about seeing more diversity in senior political positions.
"Or are you guys just scared?"
The row came after Johnson unveiled his new “ethnically diverse cabinet”, a cabinet described as one to “represent modern Britain”
Although Johnson did appoint a number of members from black, asain and minority (BAME) backgrounds, the cabinet is hardly representative of ‘modern Britain’.
Social mobility charity Sutton Trust found the proportion of ministers who went to independent schools is twice as high as May’s cabinet in 2016, at 64%.
Of the 33 ministers in Johnson's new cabinet, 45% went to either Oxford or Cambridge.
Conservative candidate for Mayor of London, Shaun Bailey said: “Before Clive goes around throwing stones, why not fix up Labours house first? Jeremy Corbyn is hardly sin-free. And Clive would know because he nominated him”.
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