British Conservative Islamophobia, fraud scandals

By Lamiat Sabin in Britain:

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Baroness Warsi calls for specific inquiry into Islamophobia after dozens of Tories suspended

TORY peer Baroness Warsi said today that the Conservative Party has a “deep problem” with Islamophobia, after dozens of Tories were suspended pending an investigation into alleged anti-Muslim hate.

Twenty five sitting and former Tory councillors are reportedly among those identified, in documents obtained by The Guardian, as allegedly posting or endorsing online Islamophobic posts.

Posts include calls for mosques to be banned, claims that Islam intends to “turn the world Muslim” and references to Muslims as “barbarians” and “the enemy within”.

Ms Warsi accused her own party of being “dismissive” of the issue — four years after problems were first brought to light.

She also said she is “disappointed” that the party is “trying to dilute” the investigation into Islamophobia by holding an inquiry into all forms of prejudice.

Ms Warsi told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that there had been “dossier after dossier, dozens and dozens of cases presented with the most vile evidence of racism within the party at every level from MPs all the way down to our ordinary activists.”

The recent dossier, compiled by an anonymous anti-racism campaigner using the Twitter handle @MatesJacob, increases pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson — who has been condemned for saying that niqab-wearing Muslim women look like “letterboxes” — to hold an independent inquiry specifically into Islamophobia within his party.

Shadow equalities minister Naz Shah said: “The Conservative Party is rife with Islamophobia, racism and bigotry from top to bottom, but we have no faith that Boris Johnson will do anything about it.”

Muslim Council of Britain secretary-general Harun Khan said that the type of Islamophobic comments made by Tory members now coming to light are a “regular occurrence” and are “endemic” in the party.

He said: “From members at the grassroots to councillors, MPs, members of Cabinet and the Prime Minister, there are hugely concerning levels of hatred against Muslims throughout the party.

“Yet the Conservative Party still refuses to hold an independent investigation into Islamophobia despite the Prime Minister committing to this and instead deems it appropriate to gloss over the issue with a broad inquiry into racism.”

He also said that the Tories lack transparency on how many members have been suspended over allegations of Islamophobia and how many have been readmitted.

From daily The Morning Star in Britain:

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Fraudster Chris Davies withdrawn from standing as a Tory candidate in North Wales

FRAUDSTER Chris Davies has withdrawn from standing as a Conservative candidate in Ynys Mon following criticism that his selection made a “mockery” of the people of the island.

The former Tory MP for Brecon and Radnorshire was sacked in June after being found guilty of faking expenses claims.

However, the Conservatives still selected Mr Davies to run for Ynys Mon — the North Wales constituency that includes the island of Anglesey and the smaller Holy Island.

The appointment sparked outrage among Ynys Mon residents and opposition candidates.

Plaid Cymru candidate Aled ap Dafydd said: “By imposing a convicted former MP who was found guilty of a false expenses claim as the candidate for the island shows how little they care about Ynys Mon.

“This makes a mockery of the people of the island.”

Mr Davies said he decided to step down due to “criticism in the media.”

The disgraced former MP was convicted in March after he admitted submitting two false expenses invoices for nine photographs costing £700 to decorate his new office.

He was fined £1,500, ordered to pay £2,500 towards legal costs and told to carry out 50 hours of community service.

The Labour candidate for Ynys Mon Mary Roberts said Mr Davies’s appointment had been an “insult” to the people of Anglesey.

“It’s insulting to the people of Ynys Mon for the Conservatives to have considered parachuting him in as a parliamentary candidate,” she said.

“Unsurprisingly he’s been forced to withdraw. Anglesey deserves better than this.”

A TORY candidate in Scotland has been suspended over offensive internet posts. Ryan Houghton, candidate for Aberdeen North, was dropped by the Conservative Party after the discovery of offensive social media posts. His suspension follows the National newspaper’s publication of a long list of anti-semitic, Islamophobic and homophobic posts by Mr Houghton on a martial arts forum in 2013: here.

The Muslim Engagement and Development NGO (MEND) is the latest group to formally request that the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) investigate Islamophobia within the Conservative Party. It cited a report detailing more than 120 incidents of Islamophobia in the last five years emanating from over 60 Conservative Members of Parliament, councillors and party candidates: here.