"Do remind me about that dodgy planning consent in Tower Hamlets, Robert.”
Tory MP Robert Jenrick has been accused of breathtaking hypocrisy after claiming that a court’s decision to acquit four people who pulled down the statue of Edward Colston would “undermine the rule of law”.
All four people, Sage Willoughby, Rhian Graham, Milo Ponsford and Jake Skuse were cleared of criminal damage after removing a statue of the 17th Century slave trader before it was thrown into Bristol’s harbourside in June 2020.
Reacting to the verdict, Tory MP Jenrick, who acted unlawfully as a minister, tweeted: “We undermine the rule of law, which underpins our democracy, if we accept vandalism and criminal damage are acceptable forms of political protest.
“They aren’t. Regardless of the intentions.”
Those comments led to Jenrick being slammed by social media users, with one writing: “Do remind me about that dodgy planning consent in Tower Hamlets, Robert.”
Another wrote: “Tory MP Robert Jenrick claims court’s Colston statue verdict ‘undermines rule of law’
“He didn’t seem to care about the law when it involved him helping a billionaire dodge paying tax.”
Others were keen to highlight how Jenrick’s decision to question the outcome of a trial was itself an attack on the rule of law. They wrote in reply to Jenrick: “The Tory Party, especially in recent years, has consistently undermined the rule of law. Trial by jury is a cornerstone of our liberal democracy. To undermine that, as Jenrick does, is unthinkable.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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