Rishi Sunak has finally admitted the words said by Frank Hester were indeed racist and sexist, after pressure from the public and possibly his own MPs. He may also have been motivated to do so by Michael Gove’s approaching redefinition of extremism. Sunak needs to consider his next move carefully. By accepting Hester’s money and being so slow off the mark to criticise him, the Tory party may appear to be endorsing him by association.
The move by Gove to redefine extremism and ban a list of protest groups which the government deems to be a “danger to democracy” may be a destructive move indeed.
Alan Pack
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