Jacob Rees-Mogg has been roundly lambasted after quoting a far-right anti-Muslim German party in a tweet.
The prominent Brexiteer tweeted a video of a speech by the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) parliamentary leader Alice Weidel.
Her party has been described by Labour MP David Lammy as being “overtly racist”, while Stella Creasy pointed out that one of their representatives claimed “Muslims in Europe are seeking to kill all Germans”.
But that didn’t stop Rees-Mogg quoting a section of Weidel’s speech which attacked the EU, in which she said “Is it any wonder the British see bad faith behind every manoeuvre from Brussels?”
The AfD have repeatedly run anti-Muslim adverts in elections with posters promising to “Stop Islamisation” and promote “Islam-free schools”.
In January, the party was banned from attending Holocaust remembrance services in Thuringia, Germany, over comments which undermined the significance of the Holocaust.
History comes full circle as the British Brexiters align themselves with…the German far-right
See: Oswald Moseley/Nordic league/ Unity Mitford https://t.co/AUBGgh4Kst— Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) March 31, 2019
Thwarting fascism is pretty much the foundational idea of the EU. It’s not a huge surprise they don’t like it. https://t.co/Vicqp2H2tr
— Jo Maugham QC (@JolyonMaugham) April 1, 2019
“How dare you describe Jacob Rees-Mogg as far right!”
Jacob Rees-Mogg: [approvingly quotes German far right party]https://t.co/HJJGsk8fUv
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) March 31, 2019