Tag Archives: Politics

Lee Anderson Accused Of ‘Islamaphobia’ Over Attack On Sadiq Khan

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Lee Anderson is at the centre of a racism row after he claimed Islamists have “got control of” Sadiq Khan.

The former Tory Party chairman provoked a furious backlash by saying the London mayor, who is Muslim, had “given our capital city away to his mates”.

His comments, on GB News, were apparently a reference to the pro-Palestine marches which have taken place in London since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

They came after former home secretary Suella Braverman claimed that “Islamists” are now running the country.

Anderson said: “I don’t actually believe that these 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.”

He added: “This stems with Khan. He’s actually given our capital city away to his mates … beware, because if you let Labour in through the back door, expect more of this and expect our cities to be taken over by these lunatics.”

Labour chairwoman Anneliese Dodds said: “Lee Anderson’s comments are unambiguously racist and Islamophobic. Rishi Sunak needs to immediately remove the whip. If he is too weak, then people will take their own view of the modern Conservative Party.”

A London Labour source: “This sort of vile Islamaphobia is exactly how the Tories campaigned against Sadiq Khan in 2016. Surely they will not tolerate it this time round?”

Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: These comments from a Conservative MP are despicable. Rishi Sunak should remove the Conservative whip. There should be no space for this in our country, let alone in parliament.”

Former Tory MP Gavin Barwell, who was also Theresa May’s chief of staff when she was prime minister, said Anderson’s comments were “a despicable slur”.

But a Conservative Party source defended Anderson’s comments.

He told HuffPost UK: “Lee was simply making the point that the mayor, in his capacity as police and crime commissioner for London, has abjectly failed to get a grip on the appalling Islamist marches we have seen in London recently.”

Those comments were then slammed by shadow health secretary Wes Streeting.

The row came as Liz Truss was condemned over her appearance alongside former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon at a right-wing conference in America.

At one point, Bannon referred to far-right activist Tommy Robinson as a “hero”, but the former prime minister said nothing.

Sajid Javid, who served in several Tory cabinets alongside Truss, criticised her for not confronting Bannon.

A spokesman for Truss did not respond to a request for comment from HuffPost UK.

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Lee Anderson Accused Of ‘Islamophobia’ Over Attack On Sadiq Khan

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Lee Anderson is at the centre of a racism row after he claimed Islamists have “got control of” Sadiq Khan.

The former Tory Party chairman provoked a furious backlash by saying the London mayor, who is Muslim, had “given our capital city away to his mates”.

His comments, on GB News, were apparently a reference to the pro-Palestine marches which have taken place in London since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

They came after former home secretary Suella Braverman claimed that “Islamists” are now running the country.

Anderson said: “I don’t actually believe that these 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.”

He added: “This stems with Khan. He’s actually given our capital city away to his mates … beware, because if you let Labour in through the back door, expect more of this and expect our cities to be taken over by these lunatics.”

Labour chairwoman Anneliese Dodds said: “Lee Anderson’s comments are unambiguously racist and Islamophobic. Rishi Sunak needs to immediately remove the whip. If he is too weak, then people will take their own view of the modern Conservative Party.”

A London Labour source: “This sort of vile Islamophobia is exactly how the Tories campaigned against Sadiq Khan in 2016. Surely they will not tolerate it this time round?”

Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: These comments from a Conservative MP are despicable. Rishi Sunak should remove the Conservative whip. There should be no space for this in our country, let alone in parliament.”

Former Tory MP Gavin Barwell, who was also Theresa May’s chief of staff when she was prime minister, said Anderson’s comments were “a despicable slur”.

But a Conservative Party source defended Anderson’s comments.

He told HuffPost UK: “Lee was simply making the point that the mayor, in his capacity as police and crime commissioner for London, has abjectly failed to get a grip on the appalling Islamist marches we have seen in London recently.”

Those comments were then slammed by shadow health secretary Wes Streeting.

The row came as Liz Truss was condemned over her appearance alongside former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon at a right-wing conference in America.

The former PM claimed the Financial Times newspaper was “friends of the deep state” which had conspired to end her time in Downing Street after just 49 days.

At one point, Bannon referred to far-right activist Tommy Robinson as a “hero”, but Truss said nothing.

Sajid Javid, who served in several Tory cabinets alongside Truss, criticised her for not confronting Bannon.

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s shadow paymaster general, wrote to Sunak demanding he remove the Tory whip from both Truss and Anderson.

He said: “Sunak has a clear choice: show some backbone and withdraw the whip or be forever known as too weak to take them on.”

A spokesman for Truss did not respond to a request for comment from HuffPost UK.

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Rishi Sunak Criticises Lindsay Hoyle Over Commons Gaza Vote Chaos

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Rishi Sunak has criticised Lindsay Hoyle for how he handled the chaotic Gaza ceasefire vote as pressure grows on the Speaker to resign.

In his first public comments on the row, the prime minister said Hoyle should not have upended the “usual processes” of parliament in the face of “intimidation or aggressive behaviour”.

Hoyle has faced accusations of bias after up-ending parliamentary procedure by selecting a Labour amendment to an SNP motion calling for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza.

That had the effect of preventing what was expected to be a major rebellion by Labour MPs who had planned to vote with the SNP.

Stephen Flynn, the SNP leader in Westminster, has accused the Speaker of pro-Labour bias and said his party no longer has confidence in him remaining in post.

Hoyle has said one of the reasons he allowed Labour’s amendment was to protect MPs who faced a backlash from pro-Palestine campaigners if they failed to vote for a ceasefire

He said: “I have a duty of care, and if my mistake is looking after members, I am guilty.”

But Sunak said today: “What happened in the House of Commons last night is very concerning.

“It seems that the usual processes and the way that the House of Commons works were changed.

“Now my understanding is that the Speaker has apologised for that and is going to reflect on what happened.”

The prime minister added: “I think the important point here is that we should never let extremists intimidate us into changing the way in which parliament works.

“Parliament is an important place for us to have these debates. And just because some people may want to stifle that with intimidation or aggressive behaviour, we should not bend to that and change how parliament works. That’s a very slippery slope.”

Some 66 Tory and SNP MPs have so far signed a motion of no confidence in the Speaker as he continues to fight to save his job.

One former cabinet minister told HuffPost UK: “MPs are very divided on what should happen, but Lindsay does have enough Conservative support to win a vote of confidence if it comes to that.”

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Here’s What Experts Think Will Happen In Gaza If A Ceasefire Is Not Called Soon

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Experts have a grim prediction for what might happen in Gaza unless a ceasefire is called – and soon.

MPs have been ripping into each other over parliamentary procedure surrounding different parties’ motions around calling for a ceasefire or a pause in the fighting.

The row has now escalated into a major challenge to speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s job, spinning away from the original matter at hand – the crisis in Gaza.

So it’s worth looking at an independent report which came out this week, from the John Hopkins’ Centre for Humanitarian Health and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, which was funded by the government.

Even if there’s a ceasefire, the academics predict around 6,550 people will die between February 7 and August 6.

That’s because malnutrition, infectious diseases like cholera and a lack of care for those who have chronic conditions will continue to drive the numbers of deaths in the Palestinian territory.

If there’s no ceasefire, and the “status quo” stays the same as it is now, the academics believe 58,260 people will die over the next six months.

And if there’s an escalation of violence, up to 74,290 people will die in the same time frame, according to their predictions.

Traumatic injuries will make up the majority of excess deaths in the territory in these two latter scenarios, according to the independent researchers.

The academics’ projected scenario looks even worse if a health epidemic of some kind breaks out.

With a ceasefire and an epidemic, the academics believe there will be a further 11,580 deaths; without a ceasefire, this goes up to 66,720; and if there’s an escalation of violence, it skyrockets to 85,750 extra deaths.

The academics who worked on the report said it did not include Israel because its health system is still functioning.

Experts have been warning about the deteriorating health conditions in Gaza for months now.

More than 85% of Palestinian inhabitants have been left homeless and the World Health Organisation says 90% of children under 5 are affected by one of more infection disease.

A sixth of children under the age of two in the north of Gaza are also acutely malnourished.

According to the Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza, more than 29,000 people have been killed since the war began. The officials do not differentiate between civilians and militants.

Speaking on LBC’s Tonight with Andrew Marr, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, Dr Hasam Zumlot, said that the scenes in the Commons last night were “disgraceful”, especially considering the state of Gaza right now.

He said on Wednesday night: “This is unthinkable, what is happening in Westminster today is simply unthinkable.”

He also predicted that if Israel does invade Rafah in southern Gaza – one of the last places of refuge in the Palestinian territory – “what will follow is World War III”.

He added: “It is as blunt and as simple as that because you have millions of people who will be scattered and dispersed. You will have a regional situation that is already at the brink.”

His comments came after a member of Israel’s war cabinet suggested this offensive would occur on March 10, the start of Ramadan, unless Hamas handed the remaining hostages back.

Zumlot warned: “If we don’t act in the next few days, this is going to be a regional war and a global war.”

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Lindsay Hoyle Fighting For Survival After Controversial Ruling Sparks SNP Fury

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Lindsay Hoyle is fighting for survival after SNP and Tory MPs declared they had no confidence in him continuing as Commons Speaker following a day of chaos in parliament.

A total of 33 of them have so far signed an early day motion outlining their opposition to him remaining in post.

Hoyle sparked fury when he ignored convention, and the advice of his officials, by selecting a Labour amendment to an SNP opposition day motion calling for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza.

Amid remarkable scenes, Commons leader Penny Mordaunt announced after four hours of debate, that the government was withdrawing its own amendment seeking a “humanitarian pause” in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

That led to Tory and SNP MPs walking out of the chamber in protest after it became clear that meant the Scottish nationalists’ motion would not be voted on.

Instead, Labour’s amendment calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” was passed unopposed.

Hoyle eventually re-appeared in the debating chamber to apologise for what had happened, insisting he had taken the unusual step in an attempt to protect MPs from a backlash by pro-Palestine campaigners.

He said: “It was my wish to do the best by every member of this House … because I am very, very concerned about the security of all members.”

The Speaker added: “I regret how it’s ended up. It was not my intention. I wanted all to ensure that they could express their views and all sides of the house could vote.

“As it was, and particularly the SNP, were ultimately unable to vote on their proposition. I am, and I regret, with my sadness that it has ended up in this position. It was never my intention for it to end up like this.

“I was absolutely convinced that the decision was done with the right intentions.”

He admitted the row “has not shown the house at its best”.

“I will reflect on my part,” he said. “I recommit myself that all members of this House are treated fairly. I do not want it to have ended like this.”

Hoyle also said he was “offended” by Tory claims that he had come under pressure from Sue Gray, the former top civil servant who is now Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, to accept the Labour amendment.

He said: “I am honest in this House, I am true to this House and all members of this House, and I try to do what I thought was right for all sides of this House.

“It is regrettable and I apologise for a decision that didn’t end up in the place that I wished for.”

One government minister told HuffPost UK: “The Speaker will not survive. The no confidence motion will get support. He doesn’t have long. MPs are livid.”

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said: “Today’s shameful events show Westminster is utterly broken.

“This should have been the chance for the UK Parliament to do the right thing and vote for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Israel – instead it turned into a Westminster circus.”

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MPs Back Calls For ‘Immediate’ Gaza Ceasefire On Day Of Commons Chaos

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MPs have backed calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on a day of chaos in the House of Commons.

A furious row erupted in the chamber over a controversial ruling made by Speaker Lindsay Hoyle before the debate began.

In a highly unusual move, he chose a Labour amendment to an SNP opposition day motion, sparking anger from both Scottish nationalist and Tory MPs.

He told MPs: “It’s important on this occasion that the House is able to consider the widest possible range of options.”

SNP MPs shouted “shame” at Hoyle as he delivered his ruling, which killed off any chance of Keir Starmer suffering a rebellion similar to the one in November which saw 56 Labour MPs defy him over the war.

Owen Thompson, the SNP chief whip, accused Hoyle – who was elected as a Labour MP in 1997 – of “doing things in a way that has never been done before”.

Following four hours of debate, Commons leader Penny Mordaunt then stunned MPs by withdrawing the government’s own amendment calling for a “humanitarian pause” in the conflict.

She said that was in protest at Hoyle’s decision to effectively re-write parliamentary procedure to allow Labour’s amendment to be taken.

Amid chaotic scenes, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn demanded that Hoyle be brought to the chamber and for the Commons proceedings to be suspended.

When that was denied by deputy speaker Rosie Winterton, all of the SNP MPs, and many Tories, walked out.

After a lengthy delay, Labour’s amendment calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” was passed unopposed.

Meanwhile, Labour was forced to deny claims that senior party figures had warned Hoyle that he would be removed as Speaker after the general election unless he chose their amendment.

A Labour spokesperson told HuffPost UK: “It’s complete rubbish. Untrue.”

HuffPost UK has also been told that dozens of MPs have contacted the Speaker to raise fears about their personal safety as a result of how they vote on the issue.

But Hoyle’s decision was publicly criticised by his top adviser, clerk of the Commons Tom Goldsmith.

In a letter published in the House of Commons library, he said it was “a departure from the long-established convention”.

He said there had only been two occasions in the past 25 years when opposition amendments to opposition motions had been accepted, and on both occasions – unlike today – there had been no government amendment as well.

Goldsmith added: “I know that you understand why I feel compelled to point out that long-established conventions are not being followed in this case.

“I am grateful to you for making every effort to discuss this with me extensively and for taking full account of my views when reaching your decision, which I know was not an easy one, and which of course is one for you to make.”

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‘Total Tory Chaos’: James Cleverly Sacks Immigration Watchdog After Security Clash

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Britain’s borders watchdog has been sacked after he claimed “high-risk” aircraft were entering the country without security checks.

David Neal, the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, was told he had “lost the confidence” of home secretary James Cleverly.

He had previously accused the Home Office of failing to publish 15 critical reports he had carried out.

The most recent spat involved claims he made in the Daily Mail about private jets landing in the UK without being checked by border officials.

Neal, a former soldier, said: “I’ve been involved in protecting this country all my working life.

“It would untenable to see this scandal go unaddressed until the end of the year.

“There will be no-one in this position to investigate whether these serious problems at London City airport are prevalent at other airports around the country.′

He added: “This is a scandal, and incredibly dangerous for this country’s border security. There should now be a rapid independent inspection of general aviation across the country.”

The Home Office denied Neal’s claims, and tonight confirmed that he has been sacked.

A spokesperson said: “We have terminated the appointment of David Neal, the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, after he breached the terms of appointment and lost the confidence of the home secretary.

“The planned recruitment process for the next Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration is in progress.”

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “This is total Tory chaos on borders and immigration.

“A series of Conservative home secretaries have sought to bury uncomfortable truths revealed by the chief inspector about our broken borders, and shockingly they are still sitting on 15 unpublished reports stretching back to April last year. The home secretary must now publish those reports in full.

“The Conservatives have lost control of our borders, are seeking to hide the truth, and are putting border security at risk.”

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: “This is a desperate move from a Conservative government terrified of proper scrutiny of their record of failure on borders and immigration.

“Conservative ministers must publish these reports without delay

“From the failed Rwanda scheme to the broken asylum system, it’s no surprise this government is trying to cover up their failures.”

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‘Populist Idiocy’: Backlash Over Tory Boast About Crackdown On Overseas Care Workers

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James Cleverly has faced a backlash after boasting about a Tory crackdown on overseas care workers.

In December, the home secretary announced a five-point plan to bring down the numbers of immigrants coming to the UK by 300,000 a year.

The strategy included banning overseas care workers from bringing dependents with them to the UK as the minimum income requirement for anyone wanting to move foreign family members with them was to be more than doubled to £38,700.

The new rules will come into effect from March 11. On Monday, Cleverly took to X (formerly Twitter) to highlight how the ban is moving forward.

He said: “Today in parliament we have laid an order to ban overseas care workers from bringing dependants. This is just one part of our plan to deliver the biggest-ever cut in migration.”

The government made the announcement as figures revealed that 672,000 more people entered the UK than left it in the 12 months to June.

The Tories’ 2019 general election manifesto pledged to bring the figure down to less than 229,000.

On X, Cleverly’s update received short shrift. SNP leader at Westminster, Stephen Flynn, said: “This will damage the care sector, the NHS and the economy. It is populist idiocy.”

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Kemi Badenoch Accuses Ex-Post Office Chair Of Seeking ‘Revenge’ On Her For Sacking Him

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Kemi Badenoch has accused Henry Staunton, the former Post Office chairman, of spreading “falsehoods” in order to get “revenge” on her for sacking him.

In a statement to the Commons on Monday, the business secretary hit back at claims made by Staunton in the Sunday Times.

He said a civil servant asked him to delay compensation payments to victims of the Horizon IT scandal to save the government money ahead of the election.

Staunton also said Badenoch told him he was being removed from his job in January because someone had to “take the rap” for the affair.

And he accused her of failing to apologise to him after he first found out he was losing his job from Sky News.

But Badenoch denied all three allegations made by Staunton, who she removed from his job in January.

She said there was “no evidence whatsoever” to back up his claim he had been asked to delay payments.

“The reality is my department has done everything it can to speed up compensation payments to victims,” she said.

The business secretary told MPs Staunton was dismissed not to “take the rap” but because there were “serious concerns about his behaviour”.

“While he was in post a formal investigation was launched into allegations regarding to Mr Staunton’s conduct – this included serious matters such as bullying,” she said.

And she said rather than failing to apologise for the way he found out he had lost his job she had been at “great pains to make my concerns about his conduct private”.

“He has chosen to spread a series of falsehoods, provide made up anecdotes to journalists and leak discussions held in confidence,” she said.

“I would hope most people reading the interview in yesterday’s Sunday Times will see it what it was – a blatant attempt to seek revenge following dismissal.”

Badenoch said a formal record of her phone call with Staunton made by officials – when she told him he was being sacked – would be published.

The Horizon IT scandal saw hundreds of Post Office workers wrongly accused of fraud. More than 4,000 people are in line to receive compensation.

The Post Office prosecuted more than 700 workers for fraud and false accounting based on data from its faulty Fujitsu computer system between 2000 and 2015.

Hundreds received criminal records, and had to do community service, wear electronic tags or serve jail time.

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Liz Cheney Tears Into Donald Trump Over ‘Disgraceful’ NATO Threats

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Liz Cheney says Donald Trump’s recent threats against NATO allies demonstrate a “dangerous” misunderstanding of America’s foreign diplomacy.

In a Sunday interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” the former congresswoman told Jake Tapper she was outraged by Trump, who earlier this month said he would “encourage” Russian President Vladimir Putin to attack NATO signatories that aren’t spending enough on defense funding.

“It’s dangerous, it shows a complete lack of understanding of America’s role in the world,” Cheney said. “It’s disgraceful.”

Liz Cheney speaks in New York on June 26, 2023. She tore into Donald Trump for his recent NATO comments during a Sunday appearance on CNN.
Liz Cheney speaks in New York on June 26, 2023. She tore into Donald Trump for his recent NATO comments during a Sunday appearance on CNN.

Gary Gershoff via Getty Images

While Trump has repeatedly complained about NATO countries being behind on their “bills,” the alliance doesn’t exactly work that way.

NATO is anchored in the principle of mutual defense, meaning each member country must commit to enough defense spending to ensure their nation’s militaries are prepared to step in if another member of the alliance is attacked.

The agreement’s Article 5 says signatories must treat an attack on one as an “attack against them all.”

Furthermore, the U.S. president does not have the power to unilaterally withdraw the country from NATO.

“I can’t imagine any other American president of either party since the establishment of NATO saying such a thing,” Cheney continued. “It’s completely uninformed and ignorant and dangerous.”

During her interview, the retired Republican legislator also told Tapper she was worried by where Trump’s sympathy to Russia may lead the Republican Party as a whole.

“We have to take seriously the extent to which you’ve now got a Putin wing of the Republican Party,” she said, calling it critical to keep that faction out of the West Wing.

See Cheney’s full interview below:

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