Kemi Badenoch accused of cowardice over backing vile Tory assault on Muslim occasion
Pressure is mounting on Kemi Badenoch to sack her Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy after he claimed an Open Iftar event in Trafalgar Square was ‘not welcome’
Kemi Badenoch described Nick Timothy as ‘fantastic’(Image: Getty Images)
Kemi Badenoch has been accused of cowardice after standing by a frontbencher who made “disgraceful” remarks about Muslim prayers.
Pressure is mounting on Mrs Badenoch to sack Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy after he said an Open Iftar event in Trafalgar Square was “not welcome”.
The London landmark regularly holds events for worshippers of all faiths, but Mr Timothy branded the public Muslim prayer as an “act of domination and division”.
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Backing her shadow cabinet colleague at the Tory local election campaign launch on Thursday, Ms Badenoch praised Mr Timothy as “fantastic” and doubled down on her defence of him.
She said: “This is a country that believes in freedom of religion. This is a country that has always tolerated minority faiths and allowed people, including people of ethnic minorities, to freedom. But this debate, which Nick is having, is not about freedom of religion. It is about how religion is expressed in a shared public space and whether those expressions fit within the norms of British culture.
“I want to start off by saying that Nick Timothy is a fantastic shadow justice spokesperson. I think women, and especially as a woman from an ethnic minority, who grew up in a country where Islam was very visible, I am very uncomfortable with seeing women pushed to the back in the middle of Trafalgar Square. We want to see religious festivities in Trafalgar Square, but they have to be inclusive and positive and respectful of British culture.”
Responding, Anna Turley MP, Chair of the Labour Party, accused the Tory leader of cowardice. She said: “Kemi Badenoch used her local election launch to back her Shadow Justice Secretary when she should have already sacked him. It’s shameful that she lacks any backbone and won’t condemn his despicable comments on Muslims.
“The Tories have now joined Reform in the gutter by adopting Tommy Robinson endorsed views over Muslims peacefully praying in London. The majority of Brits – including many Conservatives – will rightly be appalled by it. It shows just how far the Tories have sunk. London is a tolerant and diverse city. Labour will continue to proudly stand up for these values right across Britain.”
Sharing a video of Monday’s prayers, which featured Sir Sadiq Khan, Mr Timothy had said: “Perform these rituals in mosques if you wish. But they are not welcome in our public places and shared institutions.” Similar religious gatherings have long taken place in the capital, such as the Jewish celebration of Chanukah and Easter Sunday processions.
