Tories facing ‘race war’ following Islamophobic controversy
The largest Muslim group in Britain has written to the Conservative party, urging an investigation into what they describe as “structural Islamophobia” within the party.
Addressed to the Conservative chair, Richard Holden, the letter from the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) asserts that Islamophobia within the party is “institutional, tolerated by the leadership, and deemed acceptable by a significant portion of the party membership.”
Zara Mohammed, the secretary-general of the MCB, highlighted instances of inflammatory remarks made by former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, former Tory party deputy chair Lee Anderson, and former Prime Minister Liz Truss, stating that “Islamophobia was on public display this week.”
Braverman’s letter in the Daily Telegraph said, “The truth is that the Islamists, the extremists and the anti-Semites are in charge now. They have bullied the Labour Party, they have bullied our institutions, and now they have bullied our country into submission.”
Another MP, Lee Anderson, made comments on GB News where he said “Islamists” had “control” of London and its mayor, Sadiq Khan, who had “given the city to his mates”. Khan described the comments as “Islamophobic, anti-Muslim and racist”.
Anderson did not apologise for the remarks, saying, “I don’t actually believe that the Islamists have got control of our country, but what I do believe is they’ve got control of Khan, and they’ve got control of London.”
The Conservative chief whip, Simon Hart, suspended Anderson’s Tory whip. Anderson will now sit as an independent.
Tory MPs and Conservative voters have been divided over the issue, with X James Cleverly insisting Anderson apologise, while a petition calling for Anderson’s whip to be reinstated has reached over 10,000 signatures.
After days of silence around the comments, the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak responded by saying his comments were “wrong” and “unacceptable”, adding he is “living proof” that Britain is not racist, warning all politicians to “be careful with their words” and not “unnecessarily inflame” tensions.
Unless otherwise linked, headlines are front pages on February 27.
The Guardian view on Islamophobia and the Tories: the problem is bigger than Lee Anderson
Rishi Sunak says he is ‘living proof’ the UK isn’t racist
The Times
Multiculturalism is dead. It took a fool like Lee Anderson to prove it
I won’t apologise – it’s a sign of weakness, says MP Lee Anderson as he ramps up attack on Khan after PM booted him out
Lee Anderson suspension row provokes vitriolic left-wing attacks as Keir Starmer accuses Tories of harbouring ‘extremists’ and Muslim Council of Britain demands probe into party’s ‘structural Islamophobia’
Lee Anderson refuses to apologise for Islamist claim about Sadiq Khan
Suella Braverman erupts at Islamophobia row ‘hysteria’ – demands action over ‘big problem’
