Rees-Mogg race row as he blasts ‘terrible’ council in Commons
JACOB Rees-Mogg branded Sefton a “terrible, socialist council” in an extraordinary attack at the House of Commons.
The Leader of the House was then made to apologise for using a racial slur in the same response to a question from Southport MP Damien Moore about the proposed roll-out of cycle lanes across the town.
Mr Moore claimed the resort was under attack from Sefton Council and said the authority was trying to “impose a cycle network” through an ongoing consultation about plans to make biking and walking in Southport safer.
This could include an extension of existing temporary cycle lanes to Crossens and Ainsdale as well as the creation of “quiet streets” which cars can only use for access. If carried out, the work would take advantage of almost £1m of government and EU funding which can only be used for enabling active transport and must be completed by a deadline of March 31 next year.
But many have taken against the scheme, including Mr Moore.
Asking for time to debate the issue in Westminster, he said: “Southport is under attack from the vindictive policies of Labour-controlled Sefton Council who are trying to impose a cycle network on my constituency.
“Residents, businesses, disability groups and safety campaigners are against it.
“Revenues are already down because of an existing scheme and the inaccurate data used to support the existing scheme is truly shameful.”
Mr Rees-Mogg soon found himself mired in trouble though as he was accused of using an “extremely offensive racist term” during his answer.
The Conservative MP used the phrase “Yellow Peril” in relation to the Liberal Democrats.
The term is considered a racist and derogatory metaphor for a perceived threat from East Asian people to the West.
Mr Rees-Mogg said he did not know that what he had said was racist and added his use of the term was “out of ignorance”.
In his reply to Mr Moore, Mr Rees-Mogg said: “I hear gossip that (Mr Moore) is actually working in collaboration, and whisper it quietly, with the Liberal Democrats in his area against these schemes, which I think shows how completely lunatic they must be to have created an alliance between him and the Yellow Peril.”
In relation to cycle lanes, he went on to say that the convenience of and capacity for motorists must be remembered.
He went on to say that Mr Moore was responsible for an extension to the consultation, something the council has categorically denied, and added: “I am sure that many people will want to send in their views to this terrible, socialist council.”
Shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire called on him to apologise for the use of the slur.
Raising a point of order, the Labour MP said: “Unfortunately, and I hope that the Leader is doing this unintentionally, the Leader made use of an extremely offensive racist term, I find it really difficult to understand but I am sure it may be possible that he was not aware that it was, in relation to the Liberal Democrats.
“It would be really helpful if the Leader could reconsider his words.
“He has spoken powerfully and correctly over the last few months about the scourge of racism and his commitment to ending it.”
She added: “This use of casual racist phrases, however unintentional, does have an impact.
“It has a corrosive impact on the fight against racism which I know he shares as an aim.”
Mr Rees-Mogg replied: “If I have used a term that is offensive I apologise profoundly.
“I had absolutely no intention of using a term that was offensive.
“I don’t actually know what term I used that was offensive, so if out of ignorance I have, I apologise.”