Following a Guardian diary story yesterday, shadow health secretary, Liam Fox, was publicly criticised by William Hague yesterday for telling a joke which Labour MPs have said is proof of racism in the Conservative Party.

The offending joke - "What do you call three dogs and a black bird? The Spice Girls" - was condemned by Hague who said that he "deprecated racist or sexist jokes". Dr Fox has apologised for causing offence.

The Mirror quotes Spice Girls' publicist, Alan Edwards, as saying: "The Spice Girls would not like to dignify Dr Fox's tasteless joke with any comment whatsoever."

A "close pal of the girls" tells the paper that "he'd better not bump into any of the girls sometime soon".