Conservative party denies involvement with pro-Tory Facebook group containing Islamophobic abuse
3 min read
The Conservative party has distanced itself from a pro-Tory Facebook group said to contain Islamophobic, homophobic and racist comments about public figures.
The Conservative Debating Forum is said to contain demands to “expel” the Muslim mayor of London Sadiq Khan to prevent the growth of Islam in the capital, and calls to “send back” immigrants.
It boasts some high-profile Conservative MPs, as well as dozens of Tory councillors, among its 2,700 members - although many have said they had no knowledge of having been signed up.
Pro-Brexit Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg was a member, as was the former Number 10 policy guru George Freeman and MPs Glyn Davies and Andrew Rosindell.
They all said they had no idea they had been signed up and insisted they left after being made aware of the offensive content.
There is no suggestion any of the MPs or councillors actively joined the group or posted any inappropriate material.
It comes after accusations by the Muslim Council of Britain, a Tory former chair and the boss of the Conservative Muslim Forum that the party is failing to take accusations of Islamophobia seriously.
According to a dossier of material compiled by left-wing blog The Red Roar, one comment suggested Islam was a “existential threat” to Britain, while another branded the religion a “mental illness”.
The group contained suggestions Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott wanted to “change the racial profile” of Britain, as well as comparisons between the MP and a gorilla.
Users also lashed out at Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson after she announced she was having a baby with her female partner.
One said the pregnancy was “sick” while another said: “Homosexuals shouldn’t raise children” and another said: “You make your filthy bed and you lie in it.”
'ABHORRENT VIEWS'
The Conservative party said: “This Facebook group is in no way affiliated to the Conservative party and we strongly condemn the abhorrent views shared by some members of this group.”
A spokesperson for the Facebook group - which has now been renamed the Conservative Politics Society - told members the content had “sadly not lived up to what the group was originally founded for”.
They told the Observer: “We have been particularly tough on people who overstep the mark in recent months.
“Whilst we try to be very stringent on these matters, we cannot control the words of individual members in a forum of this size beyond banning them if reported.
“We are deeply saddened that despite our best efforts to prevent situations like this from arising, some individuals cannot seemingly abide by group rules.”
They said a new code of conduct for the group was being drawn up.
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