Sadiq Khan says Rishi Sunak is ‘complicit’ as PM remains silent on Lee Anderson’s ‘racist’ speech

Rishi Sunak is “complicit” in the anti-Muslim hatred spread on GB News by Lee Anderson, Sadiq Khan has said.

The Prime Minister and his cabinet have failed to “denounce and condemn” Mr Anderson’s comments, the London mayor told Sky News.

He said: “Racism is racism, I don’t understand why Rishi Sunak and his cabinet members don’t denounce it or condemn it.

“It’s like they’re complicit in this kind of racism.” And I think the message that this sends is: Muslims are a fair target. »

It came after Mr Anderson, the former vice-chairman of the Conservative Party, said “Islamists” had “taken control” of Mr Khan.

In an appearance on GB News, Mr Anderson said: “I don’t really believe that the Islamists have control of our country, but what I do believe is that they have control of Khan and that ‘They have control of London. …He actually gave our capital to his friends.”

Asked about Mr Anderson’s comments, Mr Khan said: “These comments from a senior conservative are Islamophobic, anti-Muslim and racist.

“In the last two days, we have had confirmation of an increase in anti-Muslim cases of more than 330 percent.

“These comments fuel the fire of anti-Muslim hatred, and I fear that the deafening silence from Rishi Sunak and the cabinet will condone this racism.

“It confirms to so many people across the country that there is a hierarchy when it comes to racism.”

The Prime Minister is also under pressure to take the whip away from his predecessor Liz Truss, who was interviewed by Steve Bannon and remained silent as he called far-right figure Tommy Robinson a “hero”.

Ms Truss was criticized by former chancellor Sajid Javid, who said: “I hope every MP will confront such a statement head on.” “Liz should really know more,” Sir Sajid added. And Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth accused Ms Truss of an “unforgivable demeaning of the prime ministership”.

On Saturday morning, Minister Grant Shapps appeared to distance himself from Mr Anderson’s comments, but defended the controversial MP’s right to “speak (his) mind”.

But left-wing Labor MP Dawn Butler, chair of the London Parliamentary Labor Party, wrote alongside her fellow London Labor MPs to the Prime Minister to call for “immediate action” following Mr Anderson’s comments.

Ms Butler said the comments were “Islamophobic and hateful” and “fueled the flames” of division in society, calling on Mr Anderson to withdraw the Tory whip.

And Labor demanded “serious and concrete action” from the Conservatives to “finally eradicate Islamophobia” after these comments.

In a letter to Conservative Speaker Richard Holden, Labor Speaker Anneliese Dodds said Mr Anderson’s comments are just “the tip of the iceberg” and follow a “deeply worrying pattern of tolerated Islamophobic comments and Islamophobia untreated” within the party.

She cited examples of Islamophobia within the Conservative Party, including London mayoral candidate Susan Hall’s October claim that London’s Jews were “frightened” by the “divisive attitude.” by Mr. Khan.

She also cited an investigation into Nus Ghani’s allegations that she was told her “Muslimness” “made colleagues uncomfortable” when she was sacked from government in 2020.

Ms Dodds said: “Lee Anderson’s comments were unambiguously Islamophobic and Rishi Sunak’s failure to suspend the whip or take any other action speaks volumes.

“But Anderson’s comments are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Islamophobia within the Conservative Party. We have seen many examples of ignorant and offensive opinions being tolerated and the party’s failure to adopt a definition or even use the term Islamophobia.

“Sunak has a clear choice: show a little courage and remove the whip or be known forever as the conservative leader who was too weak to stop the far-right rhetoric in his own party.”

The row erupted after Ms Truss used a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (Cpac) in the US to claim her efforts to cut taxes had been “sabotaged” by the “administrative state and the deep state.”

The former prime minister, whose disastrous 2022 mini-budget unleashed economic chaos, later took part in an interview with Mr Bannon, refusing to challenge his characterization of far-right agitator Mr Robinson as a ” hero.”

Sir Sajid was among those who criticized him for not challenging the remark.

Ms. Truss claimed in her speech that conservatives are now “operating in a hostile environment” and that “left-wing elites” will be “aided and abetted by our enemies in China, Iran and Russia.”

Interviewed by Mr Bannon after his speech, she also said she was ready to work with Nigel Farage to change the Conservative Party.

And she suggested that Donald Trump’s former adviser, who faces fraud charges in New York, could “come to Britain and sort it out in Britain”.

In a letter to Mr Sunak, Mr Ashworth wrote: “For a senior politician to engage in the propagation of such blatant conspiracy theories is incredibly damaging to our democracy, our institutions and cohesion social. »

He added: “For a former Prime Minister to make such remarks, while on an international visit to a country with which the UK shares a special relationship that upholds liberal values, constitutes an unforgivable weakening of the office of Prime Minister which diminishes the position of the United Kingdom. in the world and we must act.

“It’s time to show leadership and confront the extremists in your party. Liz Truss and Lee Anderson must no longer sit as Conservative MPs. Their words cannot go unchecked or unchallenged.

The independent has contacted No10 for comment.

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