'Is it just Muslim prayer they find offensive, and contrary to ‘British values’?'
The attorney general has compared the Tories to Tommy Robinson and Reform UK in a damning criticism of comments from the shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy and the Tory leader Kemi Badenoch about London Mayor Sadiq Khan participating in an iftar event for Ramadan earlier this week.
Timothy shared a video of Khan at the event on social media, saying that ‘mass ritual prayer’ is an ‘act of domination’. He went on to say that “The domination of public places is straight from the Islamist playbook.”
Badenoch went on to defend Timothy, saying: “This is a country that has always tolerated minority faiths and allowed people, including people of ethnic minorities, to live freely.
“But this debate which Nick is having is not about freedom of religion. It is about how religion is expressed in a shared public space, and whether those expressions fit within the norms of a British culture.”
The attorney general Richard Hermer – one of the UK’s most senior Jewish politicians – has responded to these comments with a damning criticism of the Tories, comparing them to Reform UK and to far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
According to a report in the Guardian, Hermer said: “Nick Timothy has said mass prayer in public places is an act of ‘domination’ […] But when he and Kemi Badenoch were questioned about his appalling views, they seemed to only have an issue with Muslim events.
“Timothy and Badenoch’s comments beg the question – would they have a problem if I as a Jewish man, were praying in public? Or is it just Muslim prayer they find offensive, and contrary to ‘British values’?
“The Conservative party, like Reform and Tommy Robinson, is seeking to divide Britain. Instead, they should be celebrating our brilliantly welcoming and diverse country.”
Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward
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