Tories should expel Liz Truss for 'gurning along' with Steve Bannon, say Greens

Party co-leader Patrick Harvie accused Truss and other senior Tory MPs, including former home secretary Suella Braverman, of Islamophobia because of recent comments suggesting UK institutions had been taken by radical Islamists.

Islamism is a radical philosophy that defines groups such as al-Qaeda and Daesh. Its use is controversial because some believe it is used as a “dog-whistle” Islamophobic term.

Jenrick and Braverman (below) have both linked pro-Palestine marches in London with Islamist activists.

Speaking at a meeting of the UK’s four Green parties in central London on Monday, Harvie was asked about Labour’s calls for Truss to have the Tory whip suspended after her appearance at the ultra-right wing Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in the States last week.

'A reminder of how far UK politics has fallen' 

Harvie told The National: “Absolutely I would support that call. [Truss and Braverman] and Robert Jenrick and a number of others have made explicitly Islamophobic, conspiracist comments.

READ MORE: Liz Truss peddles ‘mad conspiracy theories’ at US far-right conference

“The fact that Liz Truss was sitting there gurning away as Steve Bannon was talking about Tommy Robinson as a hero.

“It's a really sobering reminder of just how far UK politics has fallen, just how far to the right the UK Tory Party is willing to go.”

Truss is under fire after her appearance at the conference hosted by Steve Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist in the White House.

'The deep state' 

Labour have called for her to lose the Conservative whip for “spreading disinformation and conspiracy theories about a ‘deep state’ that is to blame for the downfall of her premiership”.

Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow paymaster general, wrote a letter to the Prime Minister about Truss, saying: “She also appeared alongside Steve Bannon, who referred to the convicted criminal and far-right agitator known as Tommy Robinson as a ‘hero’.

“The former prime minister replied to this line of questioning with “correct” and did nothing to speak up against him.”

During her appearance at CPAC, Truss also claimed the UK was run by a left-wing "deep state" that had caused the collapse of her short-lived premiership. 

READ MORE: Islamophobia in Conservative Party must be investigated, Humza Yousaf says

Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (below) – has twice been convicted of assault and has also been convicted of threatening and intimidating behaviour.

The Conservative Party this week finds itself engulfed in controversy after high-profile MP Lee Anderson had the whip suspended because he refused to apologise for claiming that under Mayor Sadiq Khan’s watch, London had been captured by “Islamists”.

Elsewhere, Harvie attacked the Government’s stance on immigration, saying the current UK position was “free movement for the wealthy”.

Speaking alongside Greens co-leader Lorna Slater (above) – who argued Scotland needed more immigration to boost the economy – Harvie said Labour and the Tories’ commitments to reduced levels of migration levels were “absurd”.

He said: “The idea that the way to respond to exploitative low wage levels is to restrict people’s ability to chose where they want to travel to work, that’s absurd.”

He added: “The current UK position is free movement for the wealthy and exploitation for everybody else.”

Slater added: “We can see the benefits of immigration in Scotland and we desperately need it, our economy’s calling out for it.”

Truss, Braverman and Jenrick were approached for comment.