Rishi Sunak says Lee Anderson Islamist comments were wrong but denies Conservative party has ‘Islamophobic tendencies’

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Rishi Sunak has stated offensive feedback by former deputy chairman Lee Anderson are ‘mistaken’ however has denied the Conservative occasion has “Islamophobic tendencies”.

Mr Anderson has confronted fierce backlash after he stated ‘Islamists’ had management of London Mayor Sadiq Khan, and was suspended by the occasion over the weekend.

When requested if the occasion has an issue with Islamophobia on Monday morning, the prime minister instructed the BBC: “In fact it does not.”

He added: “I feel it is incumbent on all of us, particularly these elected to Parliament, to not inflame our debates in a approach that is dangerous to others. Lee’s feedback weren’t acceptable. They had been mistaken, and that is why he is had the whip suspended.”

The previous deputy chairman’s feedback have acquired condemnation from a number of senior Conservatives. Sir Robert Buckland, former justice secretary, referred to as Mr Anderson’s feedback “repugnant”, whereas former chairwoman below David Cameron, Baroness Warsi stated his feedback revealed the “rot on the coronary heart” of the occasion.

Over the weekend, deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden refused to say whether or not the previous deputy chairman’s feedback had been Islamophobic and instructed BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that Mr Anderson was not “desiring to be Islamophobic”.

Former Conservative MP, Anna Soubry condemned Mr Downden for his refusal to sentence Mr Anderson’s feedback. Speaking to Sky Information, Ms Soubry stated Mr Dowden’s refusal to name the feedback Islamophobic was “fairly extraordinary”.

“Oliver Dowden, the deputy Prime Minister of our nation stated if he apologised he wouldn’t have misplaced the whip. I can not imagine the state the Conservative occasion has bought itself into” she added.

The Telegraph has since reported that some Conservative MPs have voiced issues in regards to the occasion’s choice to let Mr Anderson go as they stated their constitunents have rallied across the former deputy chairman.

Chairwoman of the Labour occasion Anneliese Dodds stated she has written to the Conservative Occasion chairs seven occasions over the previous three years calling for them to take motion towards Islamophobia within the occasion.

“This isn’t one thing that popped up 5 minutes in the past, it’s a persevering with concern”, Ms Dodds stated.

She additionally stated that Labour is looking for the federal government to undertake an official definition of Islamophobia.

Ms Dodds stated Lee Anderson’s remarks about Sadiq Khan had been “appalling” and had been “clearly to not do with who Sadiq Khan is, it was a slur that was directed at him due to Islamophobia”.

The Muslim Council of Britain has written to the chair of the Conservative Occasion demanding an investigation into “structural Islamophobia” within the occasion.

In a letter to Richard Holden, the organisation stated it welcomes the elimination of the whip from Mr Anderson, however alleged that Islamophobia “persists” within the occasion.

Zara Mohammed, secretary common of the Muslim Council of Britain, stated: “Our view is that the Islamophobia within the [Conservative] Occasion is institutional, tolerated by the management and seen as acceptable by nice swathes of the occasion membership.”

The Conservative Muslim Discussion board additionally launched a press release condemning the remarks made by Mr Anderson, stating:

“The Conservative Occasion is a pure house for Muslim voters, we can not let just a few people smash the superb work carried out by our MPs over the past decade.”