Tory leadership – live: Liz Truss civil service anti-semitism claims ‘abhorrent’
The FDA boss which represents civil servants said the foreign secretary’s comments are ‘inflammatory’
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Liz Truss's claims that she will tackle “woke” Civil Service culture that “strays into antisemitism” are “inflammatory” and will be viewed as “insulting and abhorrent”, a union leader has warned.
The foreign secretary was blasted by the head of the FDA, which represents civil servants, for providing “no evidence for her accusation”, which he said “goes further than the usual dog-whistle politics” of the leadership election.
It comes after the Truss campaign said she would “change woke Civil Service culture that strays into antisemitism”.
In response, FDA general secretary Dave Penman said: “The Conservatives have been in Government for more than 12 years now and, for most of that time, Liz Truss has been a minister.
“A prime minister is also minister for the Civil Service, and throwing around such unfounded inflammatory accusations illustrates a lack of leadership, the very thing that she claims to be demonstrating.”
Truss comments on civil service “inflammatory”
Liz Truss’s claims that she will tackle “woke” civil service culture that “strays into antisemitism” are “inflammatory” and will be viewed as “insulting and abhorrent”, a union leader has warned.
The Foreign Secretary was blasted by the head of the FDA, which represents civil servants, for providing “no evidence for her accusation”, which he said “goes further than the usual dog-whistle politics” of the leadership election.
It comes after the Truss campaign said she would “change woke Civil Service culture that strays into antisemitism”.
It is understood this relates to a suggestion Ms Truss needed to “overrule” Foreign Office officials who had voiced doubts about her show of support for the Israeli prime minister at the UN Human Rights Council.
In an interview, she told the Jewish Chronicle she had stood alongside her “good friend” Yair Lapid, despite some in the department claiming this could lead to Britain becoming “isolated”.
Truss condemned for lack of evidence of ‘civil service wokeism’
FDA general secretary Dave Penman said: “The Conservatives have been in Government for more than 12 years now and, for most of that time, Liz Truss has been a minister.
“So accusations of ‘civil service wokeism’ are a little ironic, given it’s essentially a criticism of their own leadership.
“However, Truss’s accusation of antisemitism goes further than the usual dog-whistle politics that has been on display during this leadership campaign when it comes to the Civil Service.
“She provides no evidence for her accusation that many civil servants will find both insulting and abhorrent.
“A prime minister is also minister for the Civil Service, and throwing around such unfounded inflammatory accusations illustrates a lack of leadership, the very thing that she claims to be demonstrating.”
‘Anti-woke’ Truss accused of fuelling culture war ‘to appeal to bigots’ within Tory party
Liz Truss has been accused of seeking to appeal to a “bigoted” section of the Conservative Party’s base by positioning herself as “anti-woke”.
Equality campaigners denounced the leadership frontrunner’s “culture war games” and said they feared she would continue her “divisive rhetoric” if elected to No 10.
It comes as the foreign secretary provoked anger with an “inflammatory” attack on “woke” Civil Service culture that she claimed “strays into antisemitism”.
Her remarks, which were condemned by a union as “dog-whistle politics,” were the latest skirmish in a culture war which has permeated Ms Truss’s battle with Rishi Sunak to become PM.
Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, a prominent women’s rights activist, told The Independent: “She is feeding their base of politically illiterate bigoted idolators.”
Read the full story from Women’s Correspondent Maya Oppenheim:
‘Anti-woke’ Truss accused of fuelling culture war ‘to appeal to bigots’
Equality activists accuse leadership frontrunner of ‘playing culture war games’ in leadership race
We’re pausing our live politics for the evening, but keep reading www.independent.co.uk for the latest updates.
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