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| Dominic Grieve criticised for claims corruption endemic in some communities | Dominic Grieve criticised for claims corruption endemic in some communities |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Critics have rounded on the government's chief legal adviser after he said corruption was "endemic" in some ethnic minority communities. | Critics have rounded on the government's chief legal adviser after he said corruption was "endemic" in some ethnic minority communities. |
| Attorney General Dominic Grieve said the problem was not restricted to "any one community" but that he was referring mainly to Pakistanis. | Attorney General Dominic Grieve said the problem was not restricted to "any one community" but that he was referring mainly to Pakistanis. |
| But some Asian commentators have described Mr Grieve's remarks as "divisive". | But some Asian commentators have described Mr Grieve's remarks as "divisive". |
| He made the comments in an interview with the Daily Telegraph. | He made the comments in an interview with the Daily Telegraph. |
| 'Ill-advised' | 'Ill-advised' |
| He said the problem was growing because some communities are made up of those who "come from backgrounds where corruption is endemic." | He said the problem was growing because some communities are made up of those who "come from backgrounds where corruption is endemic." |
| MEP Sajjad Karim, one of Mr Grieve's Conservative colleagues, said the intervention would be seen as "purely populist". | MEP Sajjad Karim, one of Mr Grieve's Conservative colleagues, said the intervention would be seen as "purely populist". |
| "As a member of the British Pakistani community myself, I've found these comments to be offensive [and] divisive," he told the BBC. | "As a member of the British Pakistani community myself, I've found these comments to be offensive [and] divisive," he told the BBC. |
| "I do think they were ill-advised." | "I do think they were ill-advised." |
| Mr Grieve said he would be "wary" of painting it as solely a Pakistani problem and pointed out that corruption was found in the "white Anglo-Saxon" community too. | Mr Grieve said he would be "wary" of painting it as solely a Pakistani problem and pointed out that corruption was found in the "white Anglo-Saxon" community too. |
| But asked by the newspaper if he was referring to Pakistanis, he said: "Yes, it's mainly the Pakistani community, not the Indian community." | But asked by the newspaper if he was referring to Pakistanis, he said: "Yes, it's mainly the Pakistani community, not the Indian community." |
| The remarks also drew criticism from political opponents, with Pakistan-born Labour MP Khalid Mahmood saying they were designed to "divide and conquer". | The remarks also drew criticism from political opponents, with Pakistan-born Labour MP Khalid Mahmood saying they were designed to "divide and conquer". |
| The MP for Birmingham Perry Barr added: "This is the law officer who's made this statement and I think the prime minister now needs to make clear whether this is his understanding of what's going on." | The MP for Birmingham Perry Barr added: "This is the law officer who's made this statement and I think the prime minister now needs to make clear whether this is his understanding of what's going on." |
| Liberal Democrat Qassim Afzal, chairman of the party's Friends of Pakistan group, pointed to what he called Mr Grieve's "loose language". | Liberal Democrat Qassim Afzal, chairman of the party's Friends of Pakistan group, pointed to what he called Mr Grieve's "loose language". |
| "I'm profoundly disturbed at a statement from such a senior Conservative MP against the British Pakistani community," he told BBC Radio 5 live. | "I'm profoundly disturbed at a statement from such a senior Conservative MP against the British Pakistani community," he told BBC Radio 5 live. |
| Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps said the Pakistani community in Britain was "well-respected and established". | |
| He told the BBC: "I don't agree that pinpointing one community over another is the right thing to do. Actually corruption is something which, wherever it is, this government wants to root it out. | |
| "If it's in voting, for example, then we have already passed a piece of legislation which means that people have to individually register for votes in the future. That will solve that problem. | |
| "Wherever corruption exists we'll make sure we root it out but we certainly don't want to pin that on any particular communities." | |
| Shared concerns | Shared concerns |
| In the interview, the attorney general referred to ethnic minority communities coming from places "where they have been brought up to believe you can only get certain things through a favour culture". | In the interview, the attorney general referred to ethnic minority communities coming from places "where they have been brought up to believe you can only get certain things through a favour culture". |
| He was talking in particular about electoral fraud and cited as an example a case from 2008 in Slough, Berkshire, where Tory councillor Eshaq Khan was found guilty of fraud involving postal votes and jailed a year later. | He was talking in particular about electoral fraud and cited as an example a case from 2008 in Slough, Berkshire, where Tory councillor Eshaq Khan was found guilty of fraud involving postal votes and jailed a year later. |
| Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, said: "Mr. Grieve's mentioned one incident in Slough which was dealt with by the courts and had not produced any further evidence of an endemic problem with corruption. | Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, said: "Mr. Grieve's mentioned one incident in Slough which was dealt with by the courts and had not produced any further evidence of an endemic problem with corruption. |
| "I think the attorney general should consider his comments again and either withdraw them or apologise for them." | "I think the attorney general should consider his comments again and either withdraw them or apologise for them." |
| In a statement Mr Grieve said later: "I am absolutely clear that this problem is not attributable to any one community, as I know very well from my many years promoting community cohesion." | In a statement Mr Grieve said later: "I am absolutely clear that this problem is not attributable to any one community, as I know very well from my many years promoting community cohesion." |
| And he received support from another Conservative colleague Andrew Stephenson. | And he received support from another Conservative colleague Andrew Stephenson. |
| The MP and chairman of a cross-party group on Pakistan said: "I think this is a valid concern, shared by a number of politicians across the political spectrum." | The MP and chairman of a cross-party group on Pakistan said: "I think this is a valid concern, shared by a number of politicians across the political spectrum." |
| Mr Grieve, the Conservative MP for Beaconsfield, was echoing comments made by Tory peer Baroness Warsi in 2010. | Mr Grieve, the Conservative MP for Beaconsfield, was echoing comments made by Tory peer Baroness Warsi in 2010. |
| She has talked about problems of electoral fraud being "predominantly within the Asian community". | She has talked about problems of electoral fraud being "predominantly within the Asian community". |