London mayoral candidate caught up in race row

Shaun Bailey has come under fire over comments he made about the “browning of England.” (File/Getty Images)

• Conservative Shaun Bailey has made disparaging remarks about Muslims in UK
• He said rising immigration levels made him worry

LONDON: A Conservative politician running to be mayor of London has come under fire over comments he made about the “browning of England” and the “influx of foreigners of all shades” to the UK pushing communities apart.
Shaun Bailey, who is himself black, has previously been criticized for comments about Hindus and Muslims, saying celebrating their religious festivals robbed Britain of its identity. 
Now it has emerged that in a report he wrote in 2008, he said rising immigration levels made him worry because “ordinary people … see the ‘foreigners’ coming and taking their jobs, jumping the queue in the big welfare line, taking their housing, scrounging off the benefit system and abusing the NHS (National Health Service), all of which are paid for by their hard-earned taxes.”
The shadow equalities secretary, Labour’s Marsha de Cordova, said the sentiments are “disgraceful” and “no one standing for public office should hold these views.”
Bailey said the comments had been taken out of context and merely represented the views of other people interviewed whilst compiling the report.
“I am an example of the diversity that characterizes London and I wouldn’t change any part of it,” he added.