Goldsmith accused of dog-whistle politics for rant over crowded Tube
WHEN Ben Goldsmith found himself on a packed platform as he struggled to board the Tube during rush hour yesterday morning he could not resist venting his frustration on Twitter.
But the Government adviser on the environment did not anticipate the storm his comments would trigger, leaving him facing accusations of “racism” and “dog-whistle politics”.
Mr Goldsmith suggested the packed platform on the Victoria line was a consequence of “open borders”.
David Lammy, the Labour MP, said: “Every major global city is crowded at rush hour, despite varying degrees of immigration. If you go to New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing, Moscow, Istanbul or Dhaka at nine in the morning, it is no easier to find a seat.
“Goldsmith’s decision to blame the crowded Tube on immigration is symptomatic of the Ukipification of our political discourse, which blames every single problem we face on immigration. This could not be further from the truth. Immigration is popular with Londoners because it is a huge driver of innovation and economic growth, as well as cultural diversity. If he wants a peaceful commute, he should consider moving to the Highlands.”
Mr Goldsmith tweeted a photograph of commuters, captioned: “It’s really easy to advocate for open borders and a swelling population in England when you’re on your a--- at home in North London all day.
“The open borders people should be asked to take the appallingly crowded Victoria Line into Central London every morning for a week.”
People quickly pointed out the photo had people from ethnic minorities in the foreground. One responder wrote: “You’re blaming service issues with trains with immigration? Did you get an education?”
Mr Goldsmith later deleted the tweet and apologised. “Some people have commented on a tweet I sent earlier today while grumpy on an overcrowded Tube train,” he said. “I apologise for the offence caused to those people and I have removed the tweet.” He had previously qualified his comments as an “unnecessarily grumpy tweet on a miserable commute to work”.
Mr Goldsmith added: “I’m pro-immigration, of course. London is what it is because of centuries of immigration. But we definitely need to have a sensible discussion on numbers each year.”
The son of James Goldsmith, the late tycoon, Mr Goldsmith, who is married to Jemima Jones, a former model, runs an investment trust and was appointed a non-executive board member of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in March. He was previously married to the heiress Kate Rothschild. The couple split in 2012 after it emerged she had been seeing the US rapper Jay Electronica.
Mr Goldsmith engaged in a Twitter row with the rapper, writing to him: “You wanna go public, I’ll go public and you ain’t gonna like it. Stop acting like a b----.”
Zac Goldsmith, his brother, is a Tory MP and former candidate for London mayor, who himself faced criticism over alleged “dog-whistle” tactics used by his campaign team.
Sadiq Khan, who won the election, described the race as one of the most “nasty and divisive” in British history.
‘London is what it is because of centuries of immigration. But we need to have a sensible discussion’