Race row as Tory MP mistakes Zahawi for Javid at reception

‘He made the remarks when corrected... he told the people in the room, “They all look the same to me”.’

A SENIOR Tory MP has been asked to step back from his public activities with St John Ambulance after he allegedly confused two senior Asian ministers at a reception in Parliament.

James Gray, the member for North Wiltshire, is said to have mixed up Nadhim Zahawi with Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, when introducing the former at the event, before reportedly stating: “They all look the same to me.”

Mr Zahawi, who at the time was the UK’S vaccine minister, is said to have confronted the MP about the remark afterwards. Mr Gray has denied making the remark or that he was spoken to by Mr Zahawi afterwards.

The incident is said to have occurred on Sept 8 in front of 50 guests, including the Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, with Mr Gray hosting the reception to thank St John Ambulance volunteers and front-line staff for what he described as their “extraordinary efforts” during the pandemic.

According to Mail Online, a source said: “Gray introduced Mr Zahawi to the stage as the Health Minister at the reception and made the remarks when corrected. He told the people in the room, ‘They all look the same to me’. He acknowledged to the audience that his comments weren’t appropriate but in a low-key, jokey way.”

Last night, a spokesman for St John Ambulance confirmed Mr Gray had been asked to step back temporarily from his public-facing charity activities to reflect on the incident. He has not been stripped of any formal functions and continues to hold the honorary title of the Commander of the Order of St John, which he was awarded last year. “St John does not tolerate racism in any way, shape or form,” a spokesman said. “We spoke with James Gray following the event about our values as an open, inclusive and progressive charity.”

Approached for comment by Mail Online last night, Mr Gray denied being racist or making the remark, adding that both Mr Zahawi and Mr Javid were close friends.

However, he admitted he had confused the pair, adding: “I said, ‘I am sorry to confuse the two of you. You two look very alike’. The notion that this is some sort of racist remark is ridiculous.”

A source close to Mr Zahawi also claimed Mr Gray had not meant to cause offense and had “apologised profusely”.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “These comments were misjudged. We do not tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind.”

The incident comes just weeks after Mr Gray joked about planting a bomb in the office of Anneliese Dodds, the Labour Party chairman.