Minister reminded of responsibilities after Muslim Council of Britain appearance
The Government has a long-standing policy of non-engagement with the Muslim Council of Britain.
A minister has been “reminded of his duty to uphold collective responsibility” after he attended a Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) event despite a Government ban on engagement with the organisation.
Work and pensions minister Sir Stephen Timms attended the MCB’s annual leadership dinner last week, prompting questions from Conservative MP Nick Timothy about the Government’s stance on the group.
The previous Labour government cut ties with the MCB in 2009 over a reported declaration of support for Hamas by a then-senior figure.
Links were restored the following year after the MCB stated its opposition to violence, but more recently both the Conservative and Labour administrations have refused any official engagement.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the Government’s policy on the group “has not changed”.
He said: “The minister has been reminded of his duty to uphold collective responsibility.”
Earlier, Mr Timothy had said the Government’s policy on the MCB was “a complete mess”.
Sir Stephen was one of four Labour MPs to attend the event, the others being backbenchers Afzal Khan, Naz Shah and Abtisam Mohamed.
Under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, he acted as Labour’s faith envoy, responsible for the party’s engagement with a range of faith groups, and he continues to work closely with such organisations.
In 2010, he was stabbed twice during a constituency surgery by a 21-year-old Islamist radical.
