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A Labour MP sparked controversy by asking her Twitter users: "If China is so great, why did Jeremy Hunt's wife come to England?"

Helen Goodman, Labour MP for Bishop Auckland in County Durham, made the comment after the Health Secretary suggested tax credit cuts would make Brits work harder like the Chinese.

Hunt has been married to his Chinese-born wife Lucia Guo since 2009 and said this week: "My wife is Chinese. We want Britain to be one of the most successful countries in the world in 20, 30, 40 years’ time."

Ms Goodman later deleted the tweet and apologised, saying: "Last week Jeremy Hunt tried to justify the Tory tax credit cuts by saying, 'My wife is Chinese… are we going to be a country that is prepared to work hard in the way that Asian economies are prepared to work hard?'

"My tweet was a follow up to his remarks, not an attack on his wife.

"Like many other people I was appalled by his remarks because working conditions in China are terrible, there are no free trade unions and many human rights abuses.

"I am sorry that I tactlessly offended some people and have apologised. I repeat, I am sincerely sorry for this."

Before the apology Nadhim Zahawi, Tory MP for Stratford-on-Avon, said: "Helen that is a terrible thing to say. I hope you delete and apologise to Mrs Hunt. Have you been hacked?"

Tory MP Marcus Fysh added: "Properly nasty, dumb racist tweet from Labour MP Helen Goodman about Jeremy Hunt's wife. Thank the Lord these people aren't in power."

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has also waded into the row, tweeting: "Terrible tweet from Helen Goodman. Never attack politicians families. I hope she apologises. Clearly she missed the 'Kinder Politics' memo."

The remark was retweeted more than 200 times before Ms Goodman deleted it.

Labour said Ms Goodman's remarks did not represent the view of the party and she has been spoken to about her tweet.

A spokesman said: "Helen Goodman has apologised and deleted the tweet in question.

"She has been reminded of her responsibilities as an elected Labour politician and her tweet did not represent the views of the Labour Party."

This week Gordon Brown launched a blistering attack on the Tories for slashing tax credits - and Hunt was the target of his stinging comments.

(Image: Richard Maude/Labour Party/PA Wire)

The former Prime Minister blasted the “out of touch” Government for slashing support to low-paid workers, with three million families set to lose £1,000 a year .

He said: "This week’s Conservative Party Conference has shown the Tories’ true colours on what, in my view, are essential tax credits to support people who are working but still too poor to make ends meet.

"Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, said that cutting tax credits would teach already hard-working people to work harder, like the Chinese .

"Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, branded tax credits a 'bribe ' and said that the move would teach parents that 'children cost money'.

"They are simply out of touch and do not understand that tax credits lift hard working families out of poverty where the breadwinner is on low pay."