A LABOUR frontbencher has been forced to apologise after a shadow cabinet colleague described the pandemic as a "good crisis" the party can exploit.

Shadow education secretary Kate Green made the comments during a Labour Connected event on Sunday, The Sun newspaper reported.

In a recording obtained by the Guido Fawkes website, Green said: "I think we should use the opportunity ... don't let a good crisis go to waste.

"We can really see now what happens when you under-resource schools, when you under-resource families and communities."

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Business Minister Nadhim Zahawi called on Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Green to apologise and "stamp out this petty party politics point-scoring".

He tweeted: "That is the reality of the Labour Party. The mask slips. Playing party politics with Covid19.

"Don't let a good crises go to waste" is what they think and now admit.

"@Keir_Starmer & @KateGreenSU should apologise & stamp out this petty party politics point scoring."

Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy told ITV's Good Morning Britain that Green is "really upset about the way that that came across".

She added: "Let me apologise for the way that that's come across as well, because nobody thinks there's anything good about this crisis."