Robert Jenrick claims ‘Islamist extremists’ have been allowed to dominate our streets
The former minister tells the Commons 'British Jews and others' are ' too intimidated to walk through central London week after week'
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Former Tory minister Robert Jenrick has suggested “Islamist extremists” have been allowed to dominate our streets leaving “British Jews and others too intimidated to walk through central London week after week.”
Speaking in the Commons, as MPs discussed the frantic events of Wednesday’s debate on Gaza, Jenrick said:”The real issue of the events of the last 24 hours is not the party political shenanigans .. the real issue is that this House appears cowed by threats of violence and intimidation.
“The mother of parliament appears weakened and diminished as a result.”
The former Communities Secretary then added:”We have allowed our streets to be dominated by Islamist extremists. And British Jews and others to be too intimidated to walk through central London week after week.
“And now we are allowing Isalmist extremists to intimidate British MPs.”
Jenrick then called for the Commons to hold a debate on “extremism” which he said was “one of the central issues facing our generation.”
He spoke on Thursday, after Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt, and shadow Leader Lucy Powell had engaged in a heated discussion the previous day’s events, in which Speaker Lindsay Hoyle had apparently allowed outside threats to MPs influence his conduct in the House.
Mordaunt said “this house will never bow to extremists, threats or intimidation”, before launching into an attack on Labour leader Keir Starmer.
She claimed:” I would ask all honourable members not to do this house a further disservice by suggesting that the shameful events that took place yesterday were anything other than party politics on behalf of the Labour Party.”
Mordaunt claimed Starmer was a “weak and fickle leader” and said of Jeremy Corbyn “one thing about the former leader of the Labour party, at least he thought he was right on those matters.”She claimed:” The current leader of the Labour party is quite happy to do what he knows to be wrong.”
For Labour, Powell said Speaker Hoyle had acted with good intentions, and wanted MPs to have a wide choice when it came to the votes on Gaza.
She said the chaotic events in the Commons, highlighted the “long shadow” of “threats, intimidation and security concerns” facing MPs.
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