England lockdown: Tory MP blames ethnic minorities and immigrants for new coronavirus outbreak

Craig Whittaker says Bame community not taking pandemic seriously but critics say claims are ‘simply not true’

A Conservative MP has blamed immigrants, Muslims and ethnic minorities for a new spike in coronavirus cases.

Craig Whittaker, MP for the Calder Valley, said the “vast majority” of people breaking social distancing rules were from the Bame community and that minorities were not taking the pandemic seriously.

His constituency is one of the areas across the north of England where the government has imposed new restrictions on household gatherings amid a surge in cases.

“If you look at the areas where we’ve seen rises and cases, the vast majority – but not by any stretch of the imagination all areas – it is the Bame communities that are not taking this seriously enough,” he told LBC radio.

“I’ve been challenging our local leaders for three weeks, asking what we are doing to target these areas to let people know that this is a very serious problem. Until people take it seriously, we’re not going to get rid of this pandemic.”

Anti-racism charities and opposition MPs criticised the comments. Holly Lynch, the Labour MP for Halifax, said the claims the MP had made were “simply not true”.

“I speak to my local Bame community every day. We are all looking at packed beaches, mass football celebrations and excessive drinking on nights out with despair,” she said.

Labour MP Charlotte Nicholas, who represents Warrington North, said: “This is just racism, pure and simple, and is not borne out by the evidence.

“In Trafford, for example, the latest outbreak appears to have started in Hale, which is one of the least diverse parts of the borough. Classic Tory divide and rule.”

Asked about his MP’s comments at a press conference on Friday, Boris Johnson appeared unconcerned, telling journalists it was “ultimately up to everybody” to tackle Covid-19.

Mr Johnson and Matt Hancock earlier this week suggested a second wave of the virus might be coming from Europe, though the UK has been the country worst hit by the pandemic across the continent.

Clarifying that he was referring to the “immigrant and Asian population” Mr Whittaker also told LBC: “We have areas of high multiple occupancy – when you have multiple families living in one household. It doesn’t specifically have to be in the Asian community, but that is the largest proportion.

“Look at the areas. You’ve got Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees. Bradford and Kirklees have two of the largest populations in West Yorkshire.”

Iman Atta OBE, direct of anti-racism hotline Tell MAMA, said: “We call on Craig Whittaker MP to apologise and withdrawn his remarks, and for the Conservative Party to investigate his comments which claimed that Muslim and other minority communities are not ‘taking the pandemic seriously’.

“The deep disappointment many Muslims in the affected areas feel about not being able to visit families on Eid should be treated with empathy, not blame, as community safety is something Muslims have practice throughout the pandemic.”

Mr Atta added that the virus was having “a devastating impact on Muslim communities” and said socioeconomic factors were a major reason why the community was being hardest hit.

“Community safety is something we all take seriously, but to single out one community this way is wholly wrong, stigmatising, and unbecoming of an MP,” he said.

The government’s imposition of new social distancing measures came a day ahead of Eid, an important Muslim festival often marked by family gatherings. Health secretary Matt Hancock said on Friday morning that the festival was not deliberately targeted.