Labour minister Sir Stephen Timms has been urged to “come clean” after attending an event hosted by the Muslim Council of Britain – in the face of a Government pledge not to engage with the group.
Timms, alongside at least three other Labour MPs, all attended the MCB’s annual leadership dinner last week – despite a recent Whitehall vow not restore to ties with the group after cutting them in 2009.
The MCB has been kept at arm’s length by successive Governments since 2009, when then-communities minister Hazel Blears suspended ties with the group after a senior member of the body backed proscribed Palestinian terror group Hamas.
The group said: “We remain committed to building bridges and contributing constructively to the national conversation, regardless of government engagement.”
Timms (pictured), alongside at least three other Labour MPs, attended the MCB’s annual leadership dinner last week
PA
It said it was focused on “uniting, empowering and serving communities… with an unwavering commitment to fostering a cohesive and inclusive society”.
Tory MP Nick Timothy, a former special adviser to Theresa May during her time as Home Secretary, has questioned whether disability minister Timms was defying the pledge or whether official policy towards the MCB has changed entirely.
Timothy has repeatedly raised the question of Labour’s MCB engagement since the General Election – but has so far received assurances from other ministers that nothing has changed.
A freedom of information request revealed that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government held “some information” about internal meetings and discussions about the MCB since July 4.
But the department claims it would not be in the public interest to release any such material.
MORE ON THE MCB:
Nick Timothy has urged Labour to ‘come clean’
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Writing to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on Monday, Timothy said: “All this raises serious questions about the Government’s policy towards the MCB.
“Can you confirm that it is Government policy that no minister should engage with the MCB?
“If that is so, why was Mr Timms at the dinner on 23 January? Does this reflect a change in Government policy or did Mr Timms defy collective responsibility?”
He later wrote on social media: “The Government says it does not engage with the Muslim Council of Britain.
“But last week a minister attended the MCB annual leadership dinner, and MHCLG refuses to publish documents that allegedly discuss restoring ties.
“Why won’t they come clean?”
A Government spokesman said: “There has been no change to Government policy on non-engagement with the Muslim Council of Britain.”
