Jacob Rees-Mogg denies promoting anti-Islam 'Alternative for Germany' party
The influential Tory MP says the speech attacking Brussels is of "real importance", but faces criticism for his social media post.
Monday 1 April 2019 12:02, UK
Jacob Rees-Mogg has said he does not support a far-right German political party after being accused of "promoting" a speech by its leader attacking the EU.
The influential Tory Brexiteer distanced himself from the Alternative for Germany (AfD), saying he was just telling his 250,000 Twitter followers it was "worth watching".
He posted a link to Alice Weidel speaking in the German parliament and wrote: "The AfD leader asks 'Is it any wonder the British see bad faith behind every manoeuvre from Brussels?'"
There is concern in Germany that the rise of the anti-Islam, anti-immigrant party recently has emboldened the far-right and neo-Nazis.
Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson said he thought Mr Rees-Mogg's post was "some kind of April Fools prank borne from the playing fields of Eton".
While MP David Lammy accused him "promoting Germany's overtly racist party".
"Our country's proudest moment was defeating the far-right. Now we are supposed to sit back while xenophobes, nativists, nationalists and isolationists do their best to tear Europe apart again," he added.
Hitting back at the criticism, Mr Rees-Mogg told LBC he did not support the AfD but the speech was of "real importance".
He said: "It shows a German view of Brexit and it's saying to the Germans: 'you're paying for this and [Angela] Merkel has tied herself up in knots with the French to the disadvantage of Germans…
"I think it is important that people know that this is a strand of German political thinking...
"I don't think that retweeting is an endorsement of things other people stand for.
"It is just pointing out there is something interesting that is worth watching."
The Conservative Party has been battling claims of "institutional" Islamophobia, made by the first Muslim cabinet minister and its former chair Baroness Warsi.
She claimed last month: "We have a deep-rooted problem of anti-Muslim comments, Islamophobic comments, racist comments that are being made right from the top - from MPs through to councillors, council candidates, members, linked groups."
A spokesperson for the party said at the time: "When we find evidence of members making offensive or inappropriate comments, we consistently take decisive action."