DAVID Coburn MEP looked no nearer to being disciplined last night after his party leader dismissed comments he allegedly made comparing a government minister to jailed hate preacher Abu Hamza as a “joke in poor taste”.
Nigel Farage, the Ukip chief, yesterday told a television programme that he was not taking the issue particularly seriously.
He said: “I have not spoken to David Coburn about it. I can only guess he is either saying he is a terrorist or he is telling a joke in poor taste.
“I suspect it’s the latter, he is telling a joke in poor taste.”
He added: “People do make mistakes and I don’t think David Coburn should have done that. But am I going to get terribly exercised over it? No.”
Earlier yesterday Humza Yousaf, the external affairs and international development minister who was compared to the jailed extremist, asked officials in Brussels to investigate Coburn over the alleged “Islamophobic insult”.
He wrote to European Parliament president Martin Schulz calling for Coburn’s remarks to be investigated and for disciplinary action to be taken as appropriate.
“The abhorrent remarks made by David Coburn were an absolute disgrace that would not be acceptable for any individual to make, let alone an elected member of the European Parliament,” he said.
“The European Union rightly prides itself on its promotion of tolerance and inclusion – something David Coburn’s remarks are completely at odds with.”
He added: “David Coburn’s Islamophobic insult has caused serious offence and anger to the Muslim community in Scotland, the UK and further afield. It is not acceptable and action must be taken.
“Bigotry of the kind displayed by David Coburn should not be tolerated and I hope that the European Parliament will send out a strong message by taking action against him.”
The leaders of Scotland’s main political parties swiftly condemned the comments, and Scotland’s five other MEPs from across the political spectrum have also written to Schulz backing the call for an investigation.
But a spokesman for the
European Parliament said that as the comments were not made in the parliament it was not a matter for them to investigate.
Yousaf is now considering his legal position and may report the comments to the police.
The controversy emerged on Saturday when it was reported the MEP made the comment during an interview about his appearance on the BBC’s Big
Immigration Debate, in which he claimed Yousaf was due to take part.
He said: “Humza Yousaf, or as I call him, Abu Hamza, didn’t seem to turn up.”
Referring to Farage’s comments, Yousaf added: “To suggest Islamophobia is a joke is unacceptable. We would all rightly be horrified if a member of the Jewish community was told to simply laugh off anti-Semitism. Nigel Farage’s complacency on this issue shows a complete unwillingness to get a grip on cases of Islamophobia and bigotry within Ukip’s ranks.
“If Ukip is happy to tolerate such disgraceful attitudes in their party it only confirms that they are rotten to the core.”
A spokesman for the European Parliament told The National: “The president’s press office tells me that under rule 166 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, the president can exercise disciplinary power with regard to events which take place inside the European Parliament.
“In Mr Coburn’s case, the event did not take place inside the European Parliament. For this reason the President cannot be asked to take action.”
Businessman Coburn became Scotland’s first and only Ukip MEP when he was elected last year. After the poll he said his election proved people living north of the Border were worried about immigration as well as those in England and Wales.
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