Former Conservative Party chairwoman backs rapper who called Boris Johnson a 'racist' during Brit Awards

The rapper who branded Boris Johnson a “real racist” during the Brit Awards has been backed by a former Conservative Party chairwoman.

Tory peer Baroness Warsi, who chaired the party from 2010 to 2012, tweeted her support of Dave’s performance at Tuesday’s music ceremony.

Dave added verses to his song Black criticising the government for the Windrush scandal and its handling of the Grenfell disaster.

"The truth is our prime minister's a real racist," he rapped during the performance at London's O2 Arena.

Baroness Warsi highlighted Downing Street's hiring of aide Andrew Sabisky, who claimed black Americans have lower IQs than white Americans, in her support of Dave.

She wrote: "After the appalling appointment of #Sabinsky & the shameful lack of condemnation this week from No10 this performance felt like a necessary wake up call in the most provocative way. #Respect.”

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Sabisky stood down on Tuesday amid mounting pressure when a slew of highly criticised past comments surfaced, but Downing Street has failed to condemn his remarks.

Home secretary Priti Patel said the prime minister was "not a racist at all", branding Dave’s comments as "utter nonsense”.

Patel was asked about Dave's criticism as she defended the government's immigration plans to refuse visas to low-skilled migrant workers after Brexit.

"Well, that's utter nonsense, it really is," she told Sky News.

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"I mean I don't know what those comments are based on. It's wrong to make judgements about individuals when you don't know a particular individual.

"He's not a racist at all and I just think those comments are highly inappropriate.”

Dave also paid tribute to London Bridge terror attack victim Jack Merritt, and criticised the PM's decision to impose more severe sentences.

"As a young black man who's seen paper and crack. Give them tougher sentences? It's just papering cracks," he rapped.

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And he criticised the government, saying: "Grenfell victims still need accommodation and we still need support for the Windrush generation.”

Dave won best album at the Brits for Psychodrama, which topped the UK album chart and won last year's Mercury Prize.