BORIS Johnson cosied up to a Tory donor accused of Islamophobia during his recent visit to Aberdeen, the Sunday National can reveal.
Pictures of the former foreign secretary – who is the favourite to be the next Prime Minister – meeting the man emerged on social media last week.
Just days ago the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) formally asked the Equalities and Human Rights Commission to investigate accusations of Islamophobia in the Tories. The MCB said a problem “runs deep into the party”.
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In 2017, Peterhead skipper John William Buchan faced a police investigation over messages on his social media, calling for Nicola Sturgeon to be “taken down” and for Holyrood to be “blown up”.
But that shameful episode – exposed in The National – hasn’t stopped Buchan posting what he thinks on his very public Facebook page. There are posts praising EDL founder Tommy Robinson, Enoch Powell, and blaming “uncontrolled mass immigration” for “knife crime epidemic” and a “shortage of school placements”.
One post reads: “If a fox came to your home would you put him in your chicken coop hoping he would integrate? Don’t think so. Stop the invasion of Islam to the free world.”
In another post he suggests Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is a secret Daesh agent.
He even shares one post which reads: “I am British. I am white. I am proud. I do not accept Islam. I do not accept immigration. I do not accept multiculturalism. I do not accept our membership to the EU. But I am not racist. I am a British citizen, I want my country back.”
In 2017, Buchan, who is skipper of the Atlantic Challenge – the largest vessel in the Scottish deep water fleet – campaigned alongside Ruth Davidson for the General Election.
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He was responsible for the @crouchy197 Twitter account, which frequently described First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as a “bitch”.
He also tweeted that “somebody should take the Nat bitch out” and “somebody take her down please”.
Despite all these comments being widely publicised in The National and other newspapers, the Tories are still happy to take Buchan’s money.
He was pictured (below) at the exclusive fundraising event in the north-east with Boris Johnson earlier this month. Buchan posted a picture of himself with Johnson with the caption: “Hopefully the next PM of my great country.”
Buchan also posted a picture of him with Johnson and Ross Thomson – despite him having previously describing the Aberdeen South MP as “scum”.
Scottish Labour MSP Anas Sarwar, who chairs Holyrood’s Cross-Party Group on Tackling Islamophobia, said: “Scotland is not immune from Islamophobia and racism, and these offensive comments show there is a great deal of work to do to build a more tolerant and inclusive society.
“Boris Johnson may have been completely unaware of this individual’s views, but his own words have helped to legitimise Islamophobia in the past.
“The Scottish Conservatives have agreed to adopt the definition of Islamophobia in a bid to tackle prejudice, which is very welcome, but the UK Government has so far refused to do so.
“For a man who aspires to be Prime Minister, Boris Johnson could lead by example and personally vow to adopt the definition and join the fight against hatred and intolerance.”
A spokesman for the SNP said despite Buchan holding “deeply unpleasant, extreme views on a range of issues” he was “still the toast of Tory social gatherings”.
They added: “There’s a very serious point though – the more senior Tories rub shoulders and give their time to these characters, the more extreme right-wing language risks becoming normalised in our politics.”
A spokeswoman for the Tories said: “There is no place in the Scottish Conservatives for Islamophobia or racism, which is why we support the international definition of Islamophobia.”
Buchan could not be reached for comment.
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