TOP trade union boss Howard Beckett today denied he was a racist and refused to quit the race to become the next Unite boss – after saying Priti Patel should be deported.
He has been suspended from the Labour Party after sparking fury for his tweets last night – but Unite are today standing by him.
The assistant general secretary, who is in the running for the top job, was accused of racism over his tweet about Ms Patel, which was branded “vile”.
He attacked the Home Secretary on social media after protests in Glasgow over an attempt to deport two asylum seekers.
He wrote: “Priti Patel should be deported, not refugees.
“She can go along with anyone else who supports institutional racism.She is disgusting.”
Mr Beckett, who sits on Labour’s ruling national executive committee, has now been suspended from the party, it is understood.
But today he came out to defend himself, saying he wasn’t a racist and had apologised for his “inappropriate tweet”.
He told Sky News this morning when asked if he would quit the race to be Unite boss: “Absolutely not. I don’t have a racist bone in my body, I’ve made it perfectly clear that the intention of that was to highlight institutionalised racism on the part of the Tory Government, and I won’t resign from that, not at all.”
Mr Beckett said he’d not been told of his suspension from the party, but called on them to lift it if true.
He added: “I certainly didn’t mean it to be taken literally… the idea that a Home Secretary would or should be deported – I am against all forms of deportation.”
‘DISGUSTING’
He is in the running to succeed Len McCluskey as general secretary at Unite, and today the union stood by him.
A spokesperson for the leftie union, which represents thousands of workers, said: “Howard Beckett made some offensive, inappropriate comments on social media for which he has correctly and unreservedly apologised.
“Unite will be offering no further comment, consistent with our policy of not commenting on staffing matters.”
Ms Patel, who was born in London to Indian-Ugandan parents, is the most senior ethnic-minority politician in the UK.
The tweet from Mr Beckett sparked a furious backlash, and was branded “vile” by Labour MP Chris Bryant.
Mr Beckett made the remarks following protests in Glasgow over the detention of two men by Border Force officials.
Police Scotland released the Indian nationals after people surrounded the immigration enforcement van and prevented it from leaving on Thursday.
He subsequently deleted the tweet, which was described by one social media user as having “sounded like the BNP”.
Gurinder Singh Josan, a member of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee and a Unite member, tweeted: “Howard showing his true colours?
“I totally disagree on pretty much everything with Priti Patel but this is simply dog whistle racism against a woman of colour. Delete this now!”
Mr Beckett later apologised, saying: “Priti Patel message on Eid al Fitr is to deport Muslim refugees. Those who have been forced to flee war zones.
‘VILE’
“We are seeing appalling institutional racism again and again from the supposed pillars of the British elite.
“Our society should have no place for racism, at all.
“I’m very sorry for my earlier tweet. I was angry to see Muslim refugees being deported on the morning of Eid al Fitr.”
He said his earlier message was “never intended to be literal” and “the wording was wrong” and “offensive”.
“I apologise unreservedly to Priti Patel. No one should be deported.”
It is understood neither of the men involved in the situation in Glasgow is Muslim.
Labour MP Chris Bryant said: “This is vile. This should play no part in Labour – or in British politics.”
A Labour spokesman said: “The Labour Party takes these allegations extremely seriously and appropriate action will be taken.”
Tory MP Steve Baker said it was “an extraordinary, absolutely intolerable remark” which must have a “robust response” from Labour.
Earlier on Thursday, Mr Beckett faced calls to be sacked after Unite and a blogger lost a £1.3m legal battle in a libel case.
Former Labour MP Anna Turley sued Unite and Stephen Walker over a 2017 article, and was awarded £75,000 damages.
Yesterday, a judge ordered Ms Turley should also have her £1.3 million of her legal fees paid.
A Unite spokesman said after the hearing that the union and Mr Walker would be “jointly liable for the legal costs”.
Ex-Labour deputy leader Tom Watson called for Mr Beckett, as Unite’s “legal guy”, to be sacked.
