LONDON: Tory MP Michael Fabricant has been accused of racism for describing pro-Palestinian protesters in central London as “primitives.”
In a now-deleted tweet, he said: “These primitives are trying to bring to London what they do in the Middle East.”
Hope not Hate CEO Nick Lowles called on the Conservative Party’s Chief Whip Mark Spencer to suspend Fabricant following the tweet.
“Calling British Muslims ‘primitives’ is clearly racist. Implying ‘they’ are from the Middle East simply compounds the offence,” Lowles said.
“The tense situation requires steady leadership from people who want to bring communities together, not hateful racism that stirs up division, as Mr. Fabricant’s comment did.”
Lowles asked Spencer: “Can you reassure me, and all people who want to stamp out racism within mainstream political parties, that you will act by suspending Michael Fabricant from the whip and that you will fully investigate this latest appalling outburst?”
Sunder Katwala, director of the British Future think tank, tweeted: “Anybody who realises that it is racist to hold British Jews responsible for Israeli policy should also be able recognise the racism here in Michael Fabricant’s tweet.”
Fabricant has been tweeting regularly throughout the recent resurgence in violence between Israelis and Palestinians.
On Saturday, in reaction to a video of protesters being interviewed in London, and in reference to Britain’s secondary school qualifications, he tweeted: “Wonder if they have a GCSE between them.”
Last year, the Conservative Party said it would not take further action against Fabricant for suggesting in a now-deleted tweet that criticism of the party for allegations of Islamophobia would harm “Anglo-Muslim relations.”
