Scottish Lib Dems MP apologises for referring to asylum seekers as 'coloured people'

Angus MacDonald, the Lib Dem MP for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, has now said he will undertake diversity and inclusion training after making the remarks.

The comments were made during a Channel 4 interview about the Home Office’s plans to house 300 male asylum seekers at Cameron Barracks in Inverness.

Mr MacDonald, who was first elected to the House of Commons in 2024, was stationed at the barracks himself when he was in the army.

During the interview, Mr MacDonald said: “I can’t think of anybody less racist than me, but of course I would say that, wouldn’t I?

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“I don’t think there’s any racism at all in this. The Highlands has not got very many coloured people, and I think a lot of them arriving at once will probably upset a lot of people because there is a lot of concern in the area.

“I just think it’s too many at the same time.”

Afterwards the Highlands MP issued a statement to apologise. He said: “I sincerely apologise for my insensitive and inappropriate remarks.

“Inverness has always been a welcoming and supportive community for refugees and I am proud of that.

“In attempting to acknowledge concerns about the pressure on already stretched local services, I inadvertently used language that was outdated and inappropriate. I have learnt from this and will be certain now to make this mistake again.”

His comments were criticised by Scottish Labour, who said the “safety and security” of people living in Inverness was of “paramount importance” to the UK government.

A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: “This is an offensive and outdated term, and Angus MacDonald should reflect on the language he has used.

“The UK government has been clear that the impact of this plan on communities will be minimised, with the safety and security of people living and working in the area of paramount importance.”