British politician condemned for racist text

A British politician came under criticism after he reportedly referred to a British-born Indian-origin journalist as "some form of ethnic extraction".

Gawain Towler, who is UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage's public relations manager, used the phrase in a text referring to London Evening Standard journalist Kiran Randhawa, the newspaper reported.

Press officer Gawain Towler came under fire after using the language which was condemned as "outrageous", "unpleasant" and "racially insensitive" by many political leaders.

Towler, who will be a UKIP candidate in next year's European elections, alleged he sent the text mistakenly to a photographer instead of a party colleague.

"It's outrageous. Nobody in 2013 should use language like this - especially if you want to be seen as fit to run the country," Conservative Party Member of Parliament Nadhim Zahawi was quoted as saying.

However, Towler initially denied that he had made the comment in a racist context, saying that his partner is Indian. He later apologised.