The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has called on Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch to remove Robert Jenrick from his shadow cabinet position and to initiate an immediate investigation into his conduct following leaked messages in which Mr Jenrick described himself as a “great admirer” of a far-right account on X (formerly Twitter). The account is known for regularly posting Islamophobic and far-right content.
Zara Mohammed, Secretary General of the MCB, said:
“It seems impossible for Mr Jenrick to have not seen the regular Islamophobic and far-right hate posted by this account. Yet he has declared himself a great admirer and agrees with its far-right views on what needs to happen next.”
“With the scale of Islamophobia endemic within the Conservative Party, and recently being propagated by some of the most powerful figures in the world, Ms Badenoch cannot allow what appears to be support for such Islamophobic and extreme content from a member of her shadow cabinet.”
“This is an immediate test of Ms Badenoch’s leadership in addressing Islamophobia. Mr Jenrick must be sacked given the clear breach of the Nolan principles, and an investigation must be launched into his record of Islamophobia in recent years.”
The MCB has long highlighted Islamophobia as a persistent and structural issue within the Conservative Party and has specifically cited Mr Jenrick’s track record. For instance, in August, he claimed on Sky News that individuals who publicly proclaim “God is great” (or Allahu Akbar) should be arrested.
The MCB has confirmed it will submit a fuller complaint to the Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) regarding Mr Jenrick’s conduct.