Rishi Sunak has said MP Lee Anderson’s remarks that sparked an Islamophobia row “weren’t acceptable, they were wrong”, as he denied the Conservative Party has Islamophobic tendencies.
The Prime Minister addressed the row on Monday after facing growing calls to speak out about the former Tory deputy chairman’s remarks.
Mr Anderson lost the Conservative whip over the weekend after failing to apologise for claiming “Islamists” had “got control” of Sadiq Khan.
But critics including the London mayor and Tory peer Baroness Warsi hit out at Mr Sunak for failing to explicitly condemn the comments.
Speaking to BBC Radio York during a visit to North Yorkshire, the Prime Minister said: “I think it’s incumbent on all of us, especially those elected to Parliament, not to inflame our debates in a way that’s harmful to others.
“Lee’s comments weren’t acceptable, they were wrong. And that’s why he had the whip suspended.”
Mr Sunak continued: “Clearly his choice of words wasn’t acceptable, it was wrong.”
“Words matter, especially in the current environment where tensions are running high and I think it’s incumbent on all of us to choose them carefully.”
Asked whether his party has an Islamophobia problem, the Prime Minister said: “No, of course it doesn’t”.
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