Tories apologise after Imran Ahmad Khan was 'incorrectly' named as first openly gay Muslim MP

Conservatives LGBT+ have apologised after a new MP was "incorrectly" named as the UK's first openly gay elected Muslim.

When Imran Ahmad Khan was elected as the Conservative MP for Wakefield he made news worldwide for allegedly becoming the first openly gay Muslim to be elected in the UK.

But on Tuesday the Conservative LGBT+ Group posted a correction to its website which said: "We are incorrect to describe him as an ‘out’ LGBT candidate."

The website explained that an "application was made in his name to the LGBT+ Conservatives Candidates’ Fund", but Mr Khan informed the organisation that the application had been made in error.

The statement went on to explain how Mr Khan "fully endorses" the group's aims of protecting the LGBT community, "but is not an out LGBT MP".

It added: "We apologise unreservedly for the incorrect reference to him as such."

In a tweet, Mr Khan wrote: "I have seen recent inaccurate press reports saying I am openly gay. Here's a release from lgbt Conservatives correcting the record."

He said he would not comment further on the matter.

When Mr Khan ousted Mary Creagh he became the first Conservative in decades to take the seat of Wakefield away from Labour, a constituency it had held since 1932.

The general election was heralded as bringing in the UK's most diverse Parliament, with reports claiming there were at least 45 openly gay MPs in the Commons.

Following news that the description of Mr Khan was "inaccurate", several news outlets deleted their original articles.