This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/aug/09/tory-party-must-choose-its-future-direction-after-boris-johnson-burqa-row-says-sajjad-karim-mep

The article has changed 12 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 3 Version 4
Boris Johnson to face Tory party inquiry over burqa remarks Boris Johnson to face Tory party inquiry over burqa remarks
(about 3 hours later)
The former foreign secretary Boris Johnson is to a face a disciplinary investigation following a string of complaints that his comments about the burqa breached the Conservative party’s code of conduct. Boris Johnson is to a face a disciplinary investigation by the Conservative party following a string of complaints about his comments on the burqa, triggering a fresh bout of infighting between his supporters and critics.
The investigation represents the first step in any disciplinary process, which could ultimately lead to Johnson being expelled or suspended from the party, a verdict that would almost certainly have to be signed off by Theresa May. The former foreign secretary could ultimately be expelled or suspended, while one peer who made a formal complaint said he had been told that if Johnson were to apologise now it would not halt the process.
Party sources said dozens of complaints about the column had been received after it was published on Monday and it was important they were properly examined. In the article for the Daily Telegraph, Johnson compared women in burqas to letterboxes and bank robbers. Party sources said dozens of complaints had been received after Johnson wrote a column in Monday’s Telegraph that compared women in burqas to letterboxes and bank robbers.
The party’s code of conduct says that MPs and other holders of public office should “not use their position to bully, abuse, victimise, harass or unlawfully discriminate against others” and “foster respect and tolerance”. It promises that complaints will be investigated “in a timely and confidential manner”. An independent investigator will have to decide whether the complaints are sufficiently serious to appoint a three-person panel to examine the matter further. Johnson will be asked if he wants to provide a statement in his own defence.
Johnson, who is on holiday, has refused to apologise for his controversial descriptions despite calls for him to do so by the Tory party hierarchy. He was asked to apologise by the party’s chairman, Brandon Lewis, on Tuesday and was told by Theresa May to use more care in his language. Lord Sheikh, a Conservative peer who submitted a complaint, said he wanted a thorough investigation. “I would be very, very unhappy if a panel was not appointed,” he said, adding that he had been reassured that Johnson could no longer get off if he said sorry. “I was told by a party official that if he apologised now, the process would not stop.”
The party will evaluate the complaints and decide whether to appoint an investigating panel of three to take matters further. If appointed, the investigating panel will comprise three people, including one independent person. The party’s code of conduct – against which Johnson will be judged – says that MPs and other holders of public office should “not use their position to bully, abuse, victimise, harass or unlawfully discriminate against others” and should “foster respect and tolerance”.
Lewis will nominate two members of the panel, and because the complaint is about a member of parliament, a third will be nominated by Graham Brady, the chairman of the party’s backbench 1922 Committee. Johnson, who is on holiday, has refused to apologise for his controversial remarks despite calls by the Tory party hierarchy. He was asked to do so by the party’s chairman, Brandon Lewis, on Tuesday and was told by Theresa May to be more careful with his language, but he ignored both.
Their first task will be to determine if Johnson’s behaviour was in breach of the party’s code or not, and recommend the appropriate level at which it should be resolved. The code of conduct adds: “If appropriate, the complaint may then be referred by the Chairman to the Leader and/or to the Board of the Conservative Party, who shall take such action as they see fit. Party officials tried to contain the row by downplaying the significance of the step, arguing that appointing an investigator was “an automatic process”, but allies of Johnson complained that he was being victimised.
“This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, suspension of membership or expulsion from the party.” Ben Bradley, the party’s former vice-chair, said: “I can’t see how they can launch an investigation when the comments are in a national newspaper; what evidence are they going to gather? My constituents who broadly agree with Boris are going to wonder why the party are now investigating him.”
A Conservative party spokesman said: “The code of conduct process is strictly confidential.” Conor Burns, Johnson’s former parliamentary private secretary, said: “When we have reached the stage when you cannot express an opinion it is a rum do in the party of freedom.” Other Tory MPs complained that it had revived a news story that was otherwise going away by announcing the investigation.
Earlier on Thursday, Sajjad Karim, the party’s MEP for North-West England, said the Conservatives had to decide between being a “genuine one nation force” or “an English nationalist movement”. If a panel is appointed, at least one member will be independent, and most likely a lawyer. One will be appointed by Graham Brady, the chairman of the party’s backbench 1922 Committee, and two others by the party, although it is not clear who will appoint them after Lewis indicated that he would not do so in order to head off accusations of bias against Johnson.
Karim said Johnson’s comments had pushed the boundaries of acceptable political debate and as a result the party had to decide what future it wanted to embrace. Their first task will be to determine if Johnson’s behaviour was in breach of the party’s code and recommend by whom the complaint should be resolved. At that stage, Johnson’s fate could be determined by May or Lewis.
The MEP accused the former foreign secretary of believing that “the norms and standards of the Conservative party do not apply” to him and complained that party leaders had made “no real attempt to enforce those standards”. The code of conduct adds that potential punishments include, but are not necessarily limited to, “suspension of membership or expulsion from the party”. A Conservative spokesman said: “The code of conduct process is strictly confidential.”
Karim said that, as a result, “the Conservative party today has to decide whether it will be a genuine one nation political force or an English nationalist movement. In the latter there is no room for diversity and that is where Boris, Farage and others are dragging the party.” Earlier on Thursday, Sajjad Karim, the party’s MEP for North-West England, said Johnson’s case meant that the Conservatives party had to decide whether it would be “a genuine one-nation political force or an English nationalist movement”.
Karim said: “Boris is playing to the gallery that exists at the right of the party” and by refusing to apologise was “positioning himself as the great defender of the right some believe they have to say whatever they like with no regard of consequences for others”. Karim told the Guardian: “Boris is playing to the gallery that exists at the right of the party” and by refusing to apologise was “positioning himself as the great defender of the right some believe they have to say whatever they like with no regard of consequences for others”.
He added: “This further pushes the boundaries of acceptable political debate into an ever more extreme place.”He added: “This further pushes the boundaries of acceptable political debate into an ever more extreme place.”
After Karim’s comments, a letter signed by about 100 Muslim women who wear the burqa or niqab was sent to Lewis, backing calls for action against Johnson and his supporters, such as the Conservative MP Nadine Dorries. After Karim’s comments, a letter signed by about 100 Muslim women who wear the burqa or niqab was sent to Lewis, backing calls for action against Johnson and his supporters, who include the MP Nadine Dorries.
The letter said: “Given a deliberate choice was made to inflame tensions in a way which makes it easier for bigots to justify hate crimes against us, we concur with the Conservative peer Lord Sheikh who has demanded that the whip be withdrawn from Mr Johnson. The letter said: “Given a deliberate choice was made to inflame tensions in a way which makes it easier for bigots to justify hate crimes against us, we concur with the Conservative peer Lord Sheikh who has demanded that the whip be withdrawn from Johnson.
“Furthermore, given the responses from other MPs, specifically Ms Dorries, and the broader concerns raised by the Muslim Council of Britain amongst others, we believe there must now be an independent inquiry into Islamophobia in the party to tackle this issue once and for all.”“Furthermore, given the responses from other MPs, specifically Ms Dorries, and the broader concerns raised by the Muslim Council of Britain amongst others, we believe there must now be an independent inquiry into Islamophobia in the party to tackle this issue once and for all.”
Dal Babu, a former chief superintendent in the Metropolitan police, said that Johnson’s comments were racist and “likely to stoke violence against Muslim women”, in an article for the Guardian.Dal Babu, a former chief superintendent in the Metropolitan police, said that Johnson’s comments were racist and “likely to stoke violence against Muslim women”, in an article for the Guardian.
He said there was a “a pattern of hate crime in the UK: after terrorist attacks and when politicians make pronouncements about the Muslim community, Islamophobic attacks increase”. Women in particular, were “easy victims for racist bigots”, he added. Official figures show that 80,400 hate crimes in England and Wales were recorded in 2016-17, an increase of 29%. Of these, 78% were racially motivated. He said there was a “a pattern of hate crime in the UK: after terrorist attacks and when politicians make pronouncements about the Muslim community, Islamophobic attacks increase”.
However the Metropolitan police commissioner, Cressida Dick, said Johnson’s remarks about Muslim women wearing the burqa would not “reach the bar” for a criminal offence.However the Metropolitan police commissioner, Cressida Dick, said Johnson’s remarks about Muslim women wearing the burqa would not “reach the bar” for a criminal offence.
“I know that many people have found this offensive. I also know that many other people believe strongly that in the whole of the article, what Mr Johnson appears to have been attempting to do was to say that there shouldn’t be a ban and that he was engaging in a legitimate debate.” “I spoke last night to my very experienced officers who deal with hate crime and, although we have not yet received any allegation of such a crime, I can tell you that my preliminary view having spoken to them is that what Johnson said would not reach the bar for a criminal offence. He did not commit a criminal offence.”
Asked what she made of the language the former foreign secretary used, the commissioner told the BBC Asian Network: “Some people have clearly found it offensive. Johnson was also rebuked for failing to seek official guidance before resuming his Telegraph column following his resignation as foreign secretary. The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, which vets appointments by ex-ministers and senior officials, said it was “unacceptable” that he signed a contract with the newspaper before contacting them.
“I spoke last night to my very experienced officers who deal with hate crime and, although we have not yet received any allegation of such a crime, I can tell you that my preliminary view having spoken to them is that what Mr Johnson said would not reach the bar for a criminal offence. He did not commit a criminal offence.” It also complained that he did not observe the three-month waiting period, which is normal before ex ministers take up outside jobs.
Conservatives
Boris JohnsonBoris Johnson
Conservatives
IslamIslam
ReligionReligion
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on Google+Share on Google+
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content