THE SNP have accused the Prime Minister of “overt racism” following a report which found his remarks about burqa-wearing women were insensitive towards Muslims.
Kirsten Oswald, the party’s deputy leader in Westminster, said the findings of Professor Swaran Singh’s report into Islamophobia within the UK Conservative party “should come as no surprise at all”.
Johnson wrote in a Daily Telegraph column in 2018 where he described Muslim women who wear the burqa as looking like “letter boxes” and “bank robbers”.
He was cleared by a majority on an independent panel over a complaint he broke his party’s code of conduct over the comments.
However, the review by Prof Singh said several interviewees who spoke to the inquiry considered Johnson’s language “discriminatory and unacceptable”.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson burqa remarks show Tories 'insensitive to Muslims'
The report said the leadership of the Conservative party “ought to set a good example for appropriate behaviours and language”.
SNP MP Oswald responded to the report by saying it was a “damning indictment” of the Prime Minister’s conduct and the behaviour of the Tory party.
She said: “The fact that the Prime Minister’s remarks have been found to have given an impression that the Tories were seen as ‘insensitive towards Muslims’ should come as no surprise at all to anyone, in the party or outside it.
“Boris Johnson has made a litany of overtly racist and discriminatory comments about various groups of people over the years, which have not only caused major offence but have damaged the Conservative Party and the UK's reputation.
“This is not leadership – and any Prime Minister who does not hold, promote and follow a zero tolerance towards racism and Islamophobia is not fit for office.
“This latest finding serves as another reminder of the rot at the core of this Tory government and its extreme, right-wing views."
Johnson has said he was "sorry for any offence taken" over the language used.
He said: "Would I use some of the offending language from my past writings today? Now that I am Prime Minister, I would not."
In response to Johnson's assertion he would not make such remarks now, the report said: "While this could be considered leading by example, the investigation would like to emphasise that using measured and appropriate language should not be a requirement solely for senior people, but ought to be expected throughout the Conservative Party."
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