Wednesday 27 November 2019 5:12 pm
https://www.cityam.com/boris-johnson-apologises-to-muslim-community/
Boris Johnson has apologised for instances of Islamophobia in his party (via Getty Images)
Johnson has previously been criticised for comparing women wearing niqabs as looking like letter boxes and bank robbers, and the party has said it would soon launch an inquiry into discrimination of all kinds within the party.
Read more: Jeremy Corbyn refuses to apologise to chief rabbi
The Prime Minister was asked in Cornwall this morning if he would apologise for examples of anti-Muslim sentiment in his party.
“Of course, and for all the hurt and offence that has been caused – of course we do,” he said.
“And all that is intolerable and it’s so important as a country that we don’t allow that kind of thing and that’s why we’re going to have the independent inquiry.”
The statement is just one day after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn refused to apologise for instances of antisemitism within his party.
On Monday, the UK’s chief rabbi said Corbyn was “complicit in prejudice” against Jews and unfit to be prime minister.
Corbyn once again refused to apologise to the Jewish community or the chief rabbi at a press conference this morning.
After being asked if he would like to apologise to the Jewish community, Corbyn said: “I’ve made clear antisemitism is a complete poison in our society.
“I acknowledge what the chief rabbi said yesterday, but I’ll also point out there’s very large amount of other people in the Jewish community who have made it very clear they do support Labour.
“That they do recognise my absolute commitment that every community in our country will be safe in a Labour government.”
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is currently investigating whether Labour is institutionally antisemitic.
A group of 11 Labour MPs also left the party earlier this year partly due to the party’s handling of antisemitism allegations.
UK chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said claims by the Labour leadership that they would “tackle the scourge of anti-Jewish racism” were a “mendacious fiction”.
Writing in the Times, he said: “How complicit in prejudice would a leader of Her Majesty’s opposition have to be in order to be considered unfit for high office?
Read more: Tom Watson and Sadiq Khan decry Labour ‘antisemitism’ after Panorama probe
“Would associations with those who have openly incited hatred against Jews be enough?
“Would support for a racist mural, depicting powerful hook-nosed Jews supposedly getting rich at the expense of the weak and downtrodden be enough?”
