Conservatives Launch Disciplinary Probe Into Alan Duncan Over Comments On Pro-Israel ‘Extremists’ In Party
The Conservative Party officially initiated a disciplinary investigation into comments made by former Tory minister Sir Alan Duncan, after he said it was time to “flush out extremists” in the party that are “doing the bidding” of Israel.
According to LBC reporter Henry Riley, a party spokesperson said: “Following his comments on LBC this morning, Alan Duncan has been informed in writing that he is under investigation by the party.” Riley reported that Duncan was unaware of the probe until approached for comment by LBC.
Several Jewish representative bodies have criticised Duncan’s comments. The Board of Deputies of British Jews described Duncan’s comments are “disgraceful” while the Jewish Leadership Council accused him of peddling in “anti-semitic tropes.” The Campaign Against Antisemitism called for Duncan to be expelled from the party.
On Thursday morning, Duncan didn’t mince his words during an appearance on LBC in his brutal takedown of politicians with membership of the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) parliamentary group.
“I think the time has come to flush out those extremists in our own parliamentary politics,” he said.
The former cabinet minister then began by calling out members of the CFI, who he accused of “bypassing all proper processes of government to exercise undue influence at the top of government” on behalf of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Duncan named, among others, MP Priti Patel, recommending she be reinvestigated over her “secret trip” to Israel in 2017 when International Development Secretary, when she held an undisclosed meeting with Netanyahu, and called for Security Minister Tom Tugendhat to be “sacked” because he “does not believe in International Law” in his support of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
He also accused Lord Stuart Polack and Lord Eric Pickles, who he branded “Laurel and Hardy” in reference to the slapstick comedy duo, of “exercising the interests of another country” as members of the CFI and to be “removed from the [House of] Lords.”
