LONDON: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has criticized a growing toxic culture in politics following reports that MPs face security threats over their intentions to vote in the House of Commons related to the Israel-Gaza conflict. warned against.
The 43-year-old British-Indian leader issued a statement on Saturday condemning extremists for hijacking the country’s street protests to glorify terrorism. This comes as The Sunday Times reported that three unnamed female MPs were given additional security sanctions due to safety concerns.
“Bigotry and anti-Semitism have exploded since the Hamas attack on October 7.” [2023] It’s just as unacceptable as being non-British. Simply put, anti-Semitism is racism,” Sunak said in a statement.
“Legitimate protests have been hijacked by extremists to promote and glorify terrorism, elected officials have been verbally threatened, physically and violently targeted, and anti-Semitic tropes have been used in Congress. “The Houses of Parliament was illuminated,” he said, referring to recent offensive projections on the Palace of Westminster.
“And this week in Parliament, a very dangerous signal was sent that this kind of intimidation is at work. It is harmful to our society and politics, and it is a policy that we hold dear here in the UK.” “It’s an affront to the freedoms and values that exist,” he said of the scene. Confusion in the Commons last week over the Gaza ceasefire vote.
Although he did not specifically mention this, Lee Anderson, a member of the Conservative Party, was disqualified as a member of Parliament after Pakistani-origin London Mayor Sadiq Khan claimed in an interview that he was under the control of “Islamists.” His intervention took place immediately after the stoppage.
Opposition parties have called for action over the comments, with Labor leader Keir Starmer condemning them as an “outburst of racism and Islamophobia”.
Mr Starmer said: “This is not only an embarrassment for the Conservative Party, it emboldens the worst forces in our politics.”
The uproar follows an article by former home secretary Suela Braverman over the weekend claiming that Islamists and extremists were in control at all levels of the UK, which was labeled by the Opposition as “extreme rhetoric”. attacked.
Mr Braverman, who was sacked from cabinet by Mr Sunak last year, said the leader of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, had been asked by Lord Lindsay Hoyle, the leader of the House of Commons, to ensure that all options were on the table for MPs to vote on. He was reacting to what he said was a selection of specific amendments to the motion. And to protect the safety of members of Congress.
The Sunday Times reports that UK Security Minister Tom Tugendhat is working with the Home Office, police and parliamentary authorities to significantly increase the safety and security of parliamentarians. As part of the review, the Royal Family and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC), which is responsible for the security of the Royal Family as well as senior politicians including the Prime Minister and Home Secretary, was convened to help assess threats to MPs. Ta. .
“Many parliamentarians are frightened by the abuses they are facing,” a senior security official was quoted as saying.
It is understood that female MPs who require additional protection are being provided with heavy security by a private company, along with a chauffeur-driven car usually reserved for ministers and opposition leaders.
(issued February 25, 2024, 12:16 IST)