London and Birmingham have no-go areas, says MP

A TORY former government minister has claimed there are religious “no-go areas” in Birmingham and a part of east London, sparking a fresh row over Islamophobia.

Paul Scully, a Conservative MP who ran to be the party’s mayoral candidate in London, made the remarks during a discussion about allegations of anti-muslim sentiments within the party.

It comes as Rishi Sunak is under pressure over his handling of the case of Lee Anderson, who was stripped of the Tory whip after claiming “Islamists” have “got control” of Sadiq Khan.

Mr Scully, who was London minister from 2021 to 2022, told BBC London: “The point I am trying to make is if you look at parts of Tower Hamlets, for example, where there are no-go areas, parts of Birmingham Sparkhill, where there are no-go areas, mainly because of doctrine, mainly because of people using, abusing in many ways, their religion to … because it is not the doctrine of Islam, to espouse what some of these people are saying.”

There was an immediate backlash from local figures, with Andy Street, the Tory West Midlands mayor, urging “those in Westminster to stop the nonsense slurs”.

He posted on X, formerly Twitter: “The idea that Birmingham has a ‘no-go’ zone is news to me, and I suspect the good people of Sparkhill.

“It really is time for those in Westminster to stop the nonsense slurs and experience the real world.”

Labour’s Jess Phillips, whose Birmingham constituency includes part of the Sparkhill area, said: “As one of the MPS for Sparkhill I am expecting an apology for this utter drivel.”

Ali Milani, chairman of the Labour Muslim Network, told BBC London that Mr Scully was perpetuating an “Islamophobic myth”.