Tory MP Paul Scully apologises for saying Britain has ‘no-go areas’

Former London minister Paul Scully has apologised after claiming there are ‘no-go areas’ in elements of the capital and Birmingham.

The Sutton and Cheam MP had mentioned Tower Hamlets and Sparkhill have been two areas wherein a minority of individuals have been ‘abusing’ their faith to make others really feel uncomfortable.

His feedback, which got here as he reacted to claims by Lee Anderson that ‘Islamists’ had taken management in London in an assault on London Mayor Sadiq Khan, sparked fury with critics branding them ‘disgusting’ and ‘Islamophobic’.

Mr Anderson has had the Conservative whip withdrawn for his feedback and Mr Scully mentioned the ex-Tory chairman’s phrases have been ‘wrong-headed’ and ‘inflammatory’.

But Mr Scully himself has ‘put his palms’ as much as say the language he used round ‘no-go areas’ had the potential to feed ‘conspiracy theories’. 

Speaking on BBC Radio London on Tuesday, the 55-year-old mentioned: ‘I’m sorry for utilizing the phrase “no-go areas” as a result of it was a blunt factor that feeds into one other set of conspiracy theories.

‘There are areas of this nation the place there are tiny, tiny teams of people who trigger folks to really feel uncomfortable. 

‘That is perhaps a white gang, that is perhaps a black gang, a Muslim gang… and that then tends to write down of complete communities for some folks.’

In a dialogue about whether or not the Conservatives have an issue with Islamophobia, Mr Scully informed BBC Radio London on Monday that he did not just like the time period as a consequence of ‘wider connotations’ and mentioned he most popular to make use of ‘anti-Muslim hatred’.

Mr Scully went on to recommend folks had ‘issues about… their neighbourhoods altering in elements of the North, particularly’ that he mentioned have been being mirrored in a ‘actually, actually clumsy method’.

‘We’ve obtained to have a smart use of language so we are able to have a constructive, grownup debate about this,’ he added.

Pressed on his remarks, Mr Scully then added: ‘The level I’m making an attempt to make is, should you have a look at elements of Tower Hamlets, the place there are no-go areas.

‘Parts of Birmingham, Sparkhill, there are no-go areas – primarily due to doctrine, primarily due to folks abusing in some ways their faith.

‘It’s not the doctrine of Islam to espouse what a few of these persons are saying. That is the priority that must be addressed.’

Following his authentic remarks there was an intervention by Downing Street, which dismissed Mr Scully’s declare and pointed to the ‘worth of the very numerous communities and societies we have now within the UK’.

Andy Street, the Conservative mayor of the West Midlands, hit out at ‘nonsense slurs’ and urged politicians based mostly at Westminster to ‘expertise the actual world’.

Mr Scully has been among the many many critics of Mr Anderson and used a radio interview at present to sentence the remarks as ‘wrong-headed’ and ‘inflammatory’.

But he added he may see what Mr Anderson was ‘making an attempt to drive at’ in his remarks about current pro-Palestinian protests over the Gaza disaster.

Mr Scully’s claims provoked fury amongst native politicians in Birmingham, with Mr Street posting on X: ‘The concept that Birmingham has a ‘no-go’ zone is information to me, and I think the nice folks of Sparkhill.

‘It actually is time for these in Westminster to cease the nonsense slurs and expertise the actual world. I for one am proud to guide probably the most numerous place in Britain.’

Labour’s Jess Phillips, MP for Birmingham Yardley, wrote: ‘As one of many MPs for Sparkhill I’m anticipating an apology for this utter drivel.  

‘My children hand around in Sparkhill day and evening, by no means had a second’s fear, I’m going there weekly and stay actually 5 minutes stroll from there and used to stay there myself.’

Nicky Brennan, the Labour councillor for Sparkhill, posted: ‘I’m completely disgusted that Tory MP Paul Scully has mentioned elements of Sparkhill has ‘no-go areas’.

‘There is not any place in Sparkhill that has made me really feel unsafe. Quite the alternative the truth is. It’s a vibrant, welcoming group in Birmingham.

‘These feedback are disgusting.’

Miqdaad Versi, spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, mentioned: ‘This is extraordinarily problematic from Paul Scully.

‘Not realising ‘no-go zones’ are a typical false and Islamophobic trope from the white supremacist and far-right fringes, exhibits the depth of the issue.’

Asked if Rishi Sunak believes there are ‘no-go areas’ in elements of London and Birmingham, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman mentioned: ‘No, and the PM has talked earlier than in regards to the worth of the very numerous communities and societies we have now within the UK.

‘Obviously we have now additionally talked just lately in regards to the significance that in a thriving democracy we retain and champion our shared values of freedom, tolerance and respect.

‘And a few of the examples of violence and intimidation that we have now seen in current weeks are clearly unacceptable.’

A Tory supply informed MailOnline that Susan Hall, the Conservative candidate to interchange Mr Khan as London mayor, didn’t contemplate any elements of the capital to be a ‘no-go space’.

Ms Hall used an article within the Evening Standard at present to hit again at Mr Anderson’s feedback about Mr Khan.

‘I could also be one among Mayor Sadiq Khan’s greatest critics, however I additionally see the monstrous abuse he will get as one of many nation’s most outstanding Muslim politicians,’ she wrote. 

‘No one ought to need to put up with that, and I wholly condemn anybody who does it, or fuels it.

‘His religion is one among his constructive traits, not one thing to be suspicious of.’

Ms Hall added: ‘We ought to have a good time our range and tolerate one another when we have now variations of opinion. That is what London has at all times been about.

‘As politicians we should all act responsibly, particularly throughout difficult occasions.’

Following the outrage at his remarks, Mr Scully posted on Twitter/X this afternoon: ‘Last phrase on my response to Lee Anderson’s feedback.

‘As somebody who has stood up and certainly championed British Muslims for a decade to finish up as seen as espousing division and likened to Katie Hopkins, I’ll bow out of the dialog and go away the 2 sides to argue…

‘I’ve at all times mentioned language issues. So does notion and if moderates are pushed to 1 facet or one other, nothing shall be resolved. I’m out.’