Boris Johnson burka probe is 'show trial'
A Conservative Party investigation into Boris Johnson is a "show trial" and is being used to stop him becoming leader, Jacob Rees-Mogg has claimed.Writing in the Daily Telegraph, the Tory backbencher blamed Theresa May's "personal rivalry" with Johnson for "taking the heat off Labour".
A Downing Street source told the BBC the investigation was "not about individuals or personalities". Johnson said women in burkas looked like "letter boxes" or "bank robbers". His remarks - in a Daily Telegraph column last week - have been called Islamophobic and the Tory Party has received dozens of complaints.
The former foreign secretary, who argued against a ban on full-face veils, has rejected calls to apologise.Rees-Mogg said it was "hard to see" how Johnson had breached the party's code. The Downing Street source said the party is compelled to investigate any complaint.
The complaints will be looked at by an independent panel which could refer Johnson to the party's board - it has the power to expel him.In a column in the Telegraph newspaper on Saturday, Rees-Mogg said he "entirely agrees" with Mr Johnson over the issue and made clear that he also does not support a ban on the burka.
He suggested that senior conservatives have attacked Johnson because of "envy" of his "many successes, popularity with voters and charisma". The North East Somerset MP wrote: "Could it be that there is a nervousness that a once and probably future leadership contender is becoming too popular and needs to be stopped?
---BBC
