TORY backbencher Graham Simpson has been mocked for suggesting there are “no-go areas” in some of Scotland’s cities.
The SNP accused Simpson of ignorance, comparing him to US President Donald Trump.
Simpson, Tory Shadow Minister for Housing, was speaking during the housing debate in the Parliament on Wednesday when he said:“We have heard some right old nonsense from members of other parties – mainly the SNP – who have said that housing is not an issue that Conservatives should talk about. Perhaps they are embarrassed by their own records – they certainly should be.
“That we have in our great cities’ sink estates, no-go areas and people sleeping rough should be a source of shame for the SNP and Labour.”
The SNP said Simpson should urgently clarify his remarks and tell MSPs where the no-go areas were located, or apologise for “lowering the tone of debate”.
MSP James Dornan said: “I was absolutely staggered to hear such ignorant, divisive rhetoric enter into a Holyrood debate.
“While we know that Ruth Davidson’s Tories have lurched ever further to the right, this sort of fearmongering nonsense should have no part to play in our democracy. Most people will scratch their heads at the mention of no-go areas in Scotland’s great cities – we have a rich variety of communities, sometimes with different challenges of their own. But we should celebrate that diversity and nurture potential, not pit communities against one another.
“Graham Simpson needs to clarify his remarks as a matter of urgency.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Tories said: “We’ve seen some ludicrous press releases from James Dornan over the years, but this one is so utterly stupid it doesn’t even deserve a response.”
In December 2015, when Trump first called for a Muslim travel ban he said parts of London were “so radicalised” police officers were “afraid for their lives”.
Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson responded to the remark calling Trump a “clay-brained guts, knotty-pated fool, whoreson obscene greasy tallow-catch” on Twitter.
David Cameron, who was Prime Minister at the time, called the remarks: “divisive, unhelpful and quite simply wrong.”
The phrase “no-go area” is politically loaded, and commonly used by the right and far-right, often in connection with areas with a large Muslim population.
Many right-wing news outlets and anti-Muslim activists believe there are parts of cities throughout Europe where the authorities have lost control, where non-Muslims are not allowed entry, or where Sharia law is imposed on residents.
A Fox News expert on terrorism once famously claimed the city of Birmingham in England had become off-limits to non-Muslims.
“You basically have zones where Sharia courts were set up, where Muslim density is very intense, where the police don’t go in, and where it’s basically a separate country almost said Steve Emerson.
This came as a surprise to people living in Birmingham.
Cameron called Emerson “a complete idiot.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here