DUP MP Gregory Campbell has refused to apologise for his Songs of Praise remarks

By Q Radio news

East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell has refused to apologise for his recent remarks and called himself "a committed anti-racist."

It comes after a social media post where he described an all black line-up of yesterday's Songs of Praise as "the BBC at its Black Lives Matter worst."

He believes that his comments were reasonable.

First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster told MLAs at Stormont earlier that her party is absolutely committed to racial equality.

Speaking on BBC Evening Extra today, Mr Campbell said: “Why would I apologise for something that is correct and accurate? No, I don’t apologise. I’m an anti-racist – do I apologise for that? No. I stand with a black footballer who refuses to take the knee – would I apologise for that? No I don’t.

“I don’t need a contrived controversy to turn me into an anti-racist, I have always been so. Of all the things I have been criticised and lambasted for down through the years, it has never been on the basis of racism because people who know me know I am not, and the post proves that I am not.”

He also said he had been subjected to the "vilest of abuse" following media coverage of his comments.