Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Why it’s okay to criticise the berk
15 colleagues demand apology amid fears of ‘race war’ over Muslim jibes
PRESSURE was last night mounting on Boris Johnson as furious top Tories turned on him over his burka jibes.
The former Foreign Secretary was yesterday still ignoring orders to apologise for comparing Muslim women wearing the traditional headdresses to “bank robbers” and “letter boxes”.
But 15 top Tories demanded publicly he say sorry for the vile comments – and one even threatened to quit the party if Mr Johnson ever became leader.
Former Cabinet minister Lord Pickles said Mr Johnson could face disciplinary action unless he backs down.
And ex-chair Baroness Warsi warned the burka and niqab insults made by the former London Mayor in a newspaper column could start a race war.
Her fears were echoed by the Conservative Muslim Forum.
Baroness Warsi said: “I refuse to accept these phrases were some kind of mistake, and the offence inadvertent.
“Johnson is too intelligent and too calculating for that. No, this was all quite deliberate. His refusal to apologise supports that.
“He set out a liberal position, but he did it in a very alt-right way. This allowed him to dog-whistle… to say to particular elements of the party that he’s tough on Muslims. Yet again, he’s trying to have his cake and eat it.
“As a feminist, what really disgusts me in this whole episode is that Muslim women are simply political fodder, their lives a convenient battleground on which to stake out a leadership bid.
TOXIC
“Well, this approach is not just offensive, it’s dangerous. Johnson’s words send out a message that Muslim women are fair game.
“What starts as useful targets for ‘colourful political language’ and the odd bit of toxic campaigning ends up in attacks on our streets.”
Conservative Muslim Forum president Lord Sheikh said of Mr Johnson’s comments: “I think to a certain extent they’re racist. These words are very inflammatory.
“I believe they will cause problems with race relations. I believe it will encourage bigotry in this country.”
Lord Sheikh revealed he had written to party chair Brandon Lewis calling for “severe action” over Mr Johnson’s jibes.
Lord Pickles said if an official complaint is made over the comments the party has “various procedures”.
He insisted it would be “a very big leap” to suggest that could lead to Mr Johnson’s expulsion but added: “You never know how these things develop. You can’t defend liberal ideas by using illiberal language.”
Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright and Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson were among the Tories demanding an apology for the remarks.
Mr Wright said while it was important issues such as the wearing of burka were discussed publicly, politicians had to choose their language with care.
He added: “When you are discussing a subject such as this, then I think describing it as people looking like letter boxes isn’t helpful.
“We’re not talking to our friends in the pub. We are public figures and we have an additional obligation to be careful.”
Ms Davidson added: “I think that this wasn’t an off-the-cuff slip. He wrote a
column, he knew exactly what he was doing and I think it crossed from being provocative and starting a debate and actually it became rude and gratuitous.”
Mr Lewis had ordered Mr Johnson to apologise, backed by Mrs May.
He is on holiday abroad and has not been seen in public since his inflammatory article on Monday.
Alistair Burt, Tobias Elwood, Penny Mordaunt, Paul Masterton, Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry, Dominic Grieve and Jonathan Djanogly
were other Tories who yesterday condemned his comments.
Some of Mr Johnson’s critics fear he may make a leadership challenge to the PM, who has been accused of being weak for not suspending him over his burka insults.
But former Attorney General Mr Grieve warned he would quit the party if Mr Johnson succeeded.
Branding the burka comments “very embarrassing”, he said: “If he were to become leader of the party, I for one wouldn’t be in it. I don’t regard him as a fit and proper person to lead a political party.”
Former minister Ms Soubry warned “many” Tories from the party’s centrist One Nation wing would quit if Mr Johnson became leader.
She tweeted: “Dominic Grieve is right.” According to the Tory party’s code of conduct, members should not use their position to “bully, abuse, victimise, harass or unlawfully discriminate against others”. Those who breach it face the prospect of suspension or expulsion.
A source close to Mr Johnson has said it is “ridiculous” his views were being “attacked”.
And it was made clear he stood by the article in which he argued against a burka ban brought in by some EU countries.
Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage urged him to stick to his guns, “stand firm” and not apologise.
A Sky News poll found the majority of the public do not think Mr Johnson’s remarks are racist and are split on whether he should apologise.
BORIS Johnson believes his refusal to back down over the burka row is right as debate should flourish in a democracy.
He thinks shutting down discussion of hard issues is unworthy of the UK. We agree political debate should never be silenced.
But because the issue of what Muslim women wear on our streets is so sensitive, it is crucial our politicians tread carefully. Mr Johnson failed to do so.
He bulldozed his way into this debate with typical inflammatory and racist language, without care for those communities who may be impacted as a result. His words risked inciting violence.
Senior Muslim figures in his own party fear that is what will happen. One has warned his comments could trigger a rise in hate crime.
We hope Mr Johnson will realise the damage, distress and fear his language has caused.
He must apologise, before it is too late.