Sunday, December 8

U.K. Conservatives Suspend Lawmaker After He Accused London Mayor of Being Controlled By Islamists

February 24, 2024 2:25 PM EST

LONDON– The U.K.’s governing Conservative Party has actually suspended ties with one if its legislators after he implicated London Mayor Sadiq Khan of being managed by Islamists, as stress over the Israel-Hamas war roil British politics.

The celebration stated on Saturday that Lee Anderson was suspended after he declined to excuse remarks made about Khan in a tv interview on Friday. The action indicates that Anderson, a deputy chairman of the Conservatives till last month, will being in Parliament as an independent.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other senior Conservative leaders had actually come under increasing pressure to turn down the remarks, which the chairwoman of the opposition Labour Party called “unambiguously racist and Islamophobic.”

The debate comes as the Israel-Hamas war fuels stress in British society. Pro-Palestinian marches in London have actually frequently drawn numerous countless demonstrators requiring an instant cease-fire, even as critics explain the occasions as “antisemitic hate marches.” Figures launched over the recently reveal that both anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim occurrences have actually increased greatly given that Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

That anger has actually overflowed into Parliament, where some legislators state they fear for their security after getting hazards over their positions on the dispute in Gaza.

In his interview with GB News, Anderson slammed the authorities action to pro-Palestinian presentations in London, leveling the blame on Khan.

Anderson stated he didn’t “really think that the Islamists have actually got control of our nation, however what I do think is they’ve got control of Khan and they’ve got control of London.”

Khan flatly declined the accusations, informing the BBC that all types of hatred require to be turned down, consisting of antisemitism, Islamophobia and misogyny.

“My issue exists’ll be individuals throughout the nation, individuals who are Muslim, or appear like Muslims, who’ll be actually worried about participating in politics, since they understand if these are the sorts of remarks that are stated versus me by a senior Conservative, what opportunity do they have?” he stated.

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