Storm as Corbyn claims there’s racism at the heart of coverage

JEREMY Corbyn provoked a row yesterday after he agreed with Prince Harry’s claim that press coverage of his wife Meghan had ‘racial undertones’.

The Labour leader’s spokesman said he had raised the issue of ‘intrusion’ in media reports about the couple’s relationship.

But Tory MP Philip Davies hit back, dismissing suggestions that criticism of the Duchess of Sussex was racist.

He said: ‘Anyone who remembers Harry and Meghan’s wedding will recall the huge popularity they had.

‘The criticism of Meghan – whether people think it is justified or not – is nothing to do with racism. That is utter codswallop.’

Mr Corbyn’s spokesman had earlier said he agreed with Prince Harry’s concerns about the press coverage of Meghan.

‘Jeremy has commented in the past in relation to Prince Harry and Meghan, about press intrusion and its impact on people and their families and, to use Prince Harry’s words as well, the “racial undertones” in relation to how the media has approached Meghan,’ she said.

Asked to give examples, another spokesman said: ‘I’m not going to run through the full gamut of the coverage... but he agrees with the broad sentiment that Harry has put forward.’

In November 2016 Harry criticised the ‘wave of abuse and harassment’ his wife, who is mixed race, had faced from the media. He cited ‘racial undertones of comment pieces’ among his concerns. He also criticised ‘racist’ attacks by online trolls.