MP defiant over race comments
A senior Tory backbencher at the centre of a racism row has accused his critics of political correctness.
Yorkshire East MP John Townend, who is stepping down at the upcoming general election, accused immigrants of causing increases in crime.
He also said immigrants undermined Britain's Anglo-Saxon society.
His comments have been disowned by William Hague who said they were totally unacceptable and insisted that they did not reflect the party's views.
However, a defiant Mr Townend is standing by his remarks, and claimed that illegal immigration is threatening to alter Britain's character in the way legal immigration once had.
"It did change the character of Britain, nobody can deny that. It is a fact," he said. "There is no doubt in this country there is a great political correctness which tries to push many of these things under the table."
His comments were rejected by shadow foreign secretary Francis Maude as the party's high command strove to distance itself from the MP. "I don't agree with a word of it. We don't have - and never have had, or not for 1,000 years - a homogeneous Anglo-Saxon population here," he told the programme.
However he stopped short of Labour demands for the Conservative whip to be withdrawn from Mr Townend - effectively expelling him from the Parliamentary party.
A Labour spokesman said: "It doesn't matter how much Mr Hague says that his words don't reflect official Tory policy. Unless the whip is withdrawn, it gives the green light to other candidates to make speeches of this nature."
Mr Hague disowned the MP's comments, saying: "John Townend's remarks on immigration and asylum in no way reflect the position of the Conservative Party. They are totally unacceptable and I wholly repudiate them."
