Amber Rudd apologises for using the term ‘coloured’

The work and pensions secretary was speaking to Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2 about people in the public eye receiving abuse on the internet.

She was asked whether the problem was worse for women, replying: “It definitely is worse if you’re a woman, and it’s worst of all if you’re a coloured woman. I know that Diane Abbott gets a huge amount of abuse, and I think that’s something we need to continue to call out.

“But there was a report done by Lord Bew into the amount of trolling there was, et cetera, and it definitely was the case that women get it more, black and black and minority ethnic women get it additionally.

“So it is just a particularly nasty form of attack that focuses on gender and colour, and I think that we have to address it by calling it out, and we have to continually look at ways to stop it happening.”

She immediately apologised on Twitter, writing: “Mortified at my clumsy language and sorry to @HackneyAbbott. My point stands: that no one should suffer abuse because of their race or gender.”

Ms Abbott said: “The term ‘coloured’, is an outdated, offensive and revealing choice of words.”