Diane Abbott blasts online trolls after 'vile' racist abuse of Sajid Javid
2 min read
Labour MPs have leapt to the defence of Sajid Javid, after the new Conservative Home Secretary was targeted for "unacceptable" online abuse by "vile" Twitter trolls.
Mr Javid, the first person from an Asian background to hold one of the great offices of state, was appointed to the Home Office job this week following the dramatic resignation of Amber Rudd over her handling of immigration policy.
But posts unearthed by the Guido Fawkes website show that his appointment was met with a string of abuse, with social media users claiming he had betrayed his heritage by taking on the job.
One activist posted: "Theresa May has appointed Sajid Javid as Home Secretary, a literal coconut to cover the Conservatives’ racist build-up to the Windrush scandal."
Former X Factor star Steve Brookstein meanwhile called him an “uncle Tom” - joining dozens of other Twitter users who hurled the term of abuse which suggests someone is subservient to white people
Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott - who has herself faced a string of racist abuse from social media users - hit out at the messages sent to the new Tory Home Secretary, blasting the use of such language "whoever it is directed against".
Labour MP Jess Philips - who frequently trades blows with Twitter trolls - also called out the abuse, telling PoliticsHome: "It is totally unacceptable that just two days into his job Sajid Javid has faced a barrage of abuse - much of it with a racist tone.
"It's fine to disagree with him, to assert what needs to change - but to personally attack is unacceptable and damages our democracy."
Conservative Party Deputy Chairman James Cleverly also piled in, fuming: “This is outrageous racist abuse that denigrates a man who has worked his way up from a working class kid from Rochdale to one of the highest offices in Her Majesty’s Government, entirely on merit."
He added: "Sajid Javid’s success should be celebrated, not slammed."
A Labour spokesperson said: "Any complaints we receive which relate to party members are fully investigated and appropriate disciplinary action is taken."
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