GMB star Adil Ray slams Tory MP accused of sharing an ‘Islamophobic myth’

Former Tory minister Paul Scully claimed in a radio interview that parts of Tower Hamlets in London and Sparkhill in Birmingham were ‘no-go areas’, sparking an angry backlash

Tory MP Paul Scully has been criticised for the remarks (

Image: BBC)

Good Morning Britain star Adil Ray has slammed a Tory MP accused of sharing an “Islamophobic myth”.

Broadcaster Adil Ray said remarks by ex minister Paul Scully were ‘racism’ after the politician said there were “no-go areas” in London and Birmingham. Mr Scully aimed the jibe at capital’s Tower Hamlets and Sparkhill in the Midlands – both areas known for having large ethnic minorities.

The comments enraged the Citizen Khan star – coming after former Tory Deputy Chairman Lee Anderson made explosive attack on London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan.

On Twitter, Mr Ray, 49, said: “Sparkhill is home to many communities and cultures, perhaps it’s your own prejudice that keeps you away. This is racism. Call it out. Enough.”

Earlier former minister Paul Scully made his controversial remarks discussing Islamophobia. He told BBC Radio London: “The point I’m trying to make is if you look at parts of Tower Hamlets, for example, where there are no-go areas or parts of Birmingham Sparkhill, there are no-go areas mainly because of doctrine and mainly because people are sort of abusing in many ways their religion, you know.

The Sutton and Cheam MP added: “Because it’s not the doctrine of Islam to espouse some of what some of these people are saying. So I think is the concern that needs to be addressed.”

Ali Milani, chairman of the Labour Muslim Network, responded: “This is an Islamophobic myth that has been continuously perpetuated. There are no Muslim no-go areas in this country… this is not true, it’s Islamophobic.”

Labour MP Jess Phillips, whose Birmingham Yardley constituency includes Sparkhill, responded: “As one of the MPs for Sparkhill I am expecting an apology for this utter drivel.

“My kids hang out in Sparkhill day and night, never had a moments worry, I go there weekly and live literally 5 minutes walk from there and used to live there myself.”

And Councillor Nicky Brennan, who represents Sparkhill on Birmingham City Council, posted on Twitter: “There is no place in Sparkhill that has made me feel unsafe. Quite the opposite in fact. It’s a vibrant, welcoming community in Birmingham. These comments are disgusting.”

Earlier in the discussion Mr Scully had said: “Over the years you’ve got people concerned about their neighbourhoods changing, in parts of the north in particular, I think they’re trying to reflect that in a particularly clumsy way.

“We’ve got to have a sensible use of language so we can have a constructive adult debate about this.”

According to the 2021 census, just over 78 per cent of the population of Sparkill are Asian or Asian British, while 5.2 per cent are Black and 7.9 per cent are white. In Tower Hamlets 44.4 per cent are from an Asian background, while 39.4 per cent are white and 7.3 per cent Black.

It comes as Rishi Sunak faces pressure to open an investigation into “structural Islamophobia” in the Conservative Party. In a letter to the Tory chairman Richard Holden, the Muslim Council of Britain said it welcomed the decision to suspend Lee Anderson after he claimed London Mayor Sadiq Khan is controlled by Islamists.

But Secretary General Zara Mohammed said: “Our view is that the Islamophobia in the (Conservative) Party is institutional, tolerated by the leadership and seen as acceptable by great swathes of the party membership.” She said anti-Muslim sentiment in the party was “on display this week”.