Long-serving Liberal Democrat and former Sutton North councillor Lester Holloway, has left the party after accusing members of tolerating ‘appalling racism.’

Mr Holloway has resigned in reaction to a comment on a Lib Dem news website that he felt was bigoted towards Africans. 

The post was left below a story on the Liberal Democrat Voice about a members trip to Botswana, where they had flown out to support the opposition party’s campaign in the country's general election.

In response to comments from Mr Holloway rueing the underdevelopment of Botswana, commenter Jedibeeftrix wrote: "Where does one start when people do not know what a toilet is?"

Mr Holloway, who served as a Sutton North councillor for four years, perceived the comment to be generalising about the whole of Africa, rather than being a reference to the nation’s underdevelopment.

He said: "Nobody was disgusted, every other member on there had no problem with the remark at all.

"It’s the last straw. The party has a pitiful number of black candidates running in the up and coming general election, and they are all contesting for hopeless seats. 

"There is a culture within the party which puts off people from minority backgrounds.

"We haven’t had a black MP in the last 150 years."

Mr Holloway left his role as Sutton North councillor prior to this May's local election, and now lives in Hammersmith and Fulham, West London.

He had been a member of the Lib Dems for eight years.

The ex-councillor announced his resignation from the party using social media on Wednesday, October 29.

He tweeted: "I am resigning from the @libdems over the toleration by some members of appalling racism towards Africans."

Mr Holloway, who also works as a journalist and television presenter, said: "I have no plans politically now, I am a free agent.

"I will carry on writing in the black media, and I have a show coming up which will be aired on BEN Television."