Foreign Minister stood down after racist slur.
Foreign Minister Sarah Lyndalls of the Liberal Democratic Party of Luthori has been sacked, effective immediately, after a letter in which she referred to fellow Party member Andrew Fox as a "f*ing Jew" was leaked to the media. The letter was intended to be for the eyes of long-time LDP executive member Harold Somers only - he, too, has been stood down over the issue.
The controversy comes just a week before a scheduled caucus meeting to discuss the future of the LDP and possibly elect a new Chairman - an election which Lyndalls was expected to win.
Harry McCormack has been appointed Acting Foreign Minister until the next cabinet is proposed by the Royal Aristocratic Party - the only Party which can make a cabinet proposal, based on Luthori law. His position as a Senior Executive Member, along with that of Somers, will be granted to two junior, aspiring LDP politicians. An official announcement about the Party Executive re-shuffle is expected following next weeks caucus meeting.
LDP Chairman Jonathon Churchwood expressed his dismay today that racism could occur in Luthori and in his own party in particular.
"Obviously this is something which is extremely distressing and deserves the highest level of condemnation. The Liberal Democratic Party of Luthori has always and will always stand for the rights and freedoms of all our citizens regardless of gender, sexuality, nationality or religion. This sort of activity is intolerable by any standards and it will be dealt with strongly. The two Party members involved in this incident have been removed from their positions and are no longer members of the Party. On behalf of the Liberal Democratic Party of Luthori, I offer my sincerest apologies to the Jewish community of Luthori and to the nation as a whole."
Chairman Churchwood's position in the Party is also in doubt and it is expected that he will be out-voted at the coming caucus. Churchwood was credited for bringing the first signs of success to the Party in 2739 when the Party won a landslide victory, but since then the Party has dropped back to the bottom of the rankings. In the media conference today, he refused to speculate about the future of the Party and his position in it.
"The caucus meeting next week has a lot to deal with. Considering the recent events in the Party, there are several decisions which need to be made. One of those decisions revolves around my future as Chairman, but that is not something I am going to speculate on. If the Executive decides I'm still the man for the job, I will do everything I can to lead the Party to success in the next elections. If they decide differently, my loyalty and commitment to the Party will not be dented. There are several great candidates for this position and no matter what the Executive decides, members of the LDP can look forward to a bright future."
Of those candidates, Anthony Stephenson is the new expected victor. Son of LDP founder Jorg Stephenson, Anthony has gained a reputation for being a successful businessman - controlling near 10% of the automotive industry of Luthori at the age of just 31.