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Johnson's racist and Islamophobic remarks make him unfit to be PM, anti-racists says
Boris Johnson speaks at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London after being announced as the new Conservative party leader and the unelected Prime Minister.

BORIS JOHNSON’S racist and Islamophobic remarks should be enough to disqualify him from being prime minister, campaigners said today after his premiership was announced.

Anti-racism activists joined a vast number of politicians, trade union general secretaries and campaigners who have called for a general election after Mr Johnson was “elected” by just under 100,000 Conservative members.

They referred to his comments about veil-wearing Muslim women looking like “letterboxes” and “bankrobbers” and accused him of fuelling and legitimising Islamophobia.

The activists from Stand Up to Racism (SUTR) also referred to his statements in which he described black people as “piccanninies” and of having “watermelon smiles,” which Mr Johnson claimed he had made “ironically.”

They also pointed to his failure to condemn US President Donald Trump for telling four congresswomen of black and ethnic minority backgrounds — three of whom were born in the US and one a naturalised citizen — to “go back home.”

SUTR co-convener Sabby Dhalu said: “Boris Johnson’s racism and Islamophobia should disqualify him from the office of prime minister.

“His leadership of the Conservative Party indicates a pro-Trump regime change in government. The ‘send her back’ racism we saw recently in the US could soon be the norm here in Britain.

“The question of whether Boris Johnson is fit to be Prime Minister must be put to the people. We call for a general election now. We must also redouble our efforts to build the movement against racism here.”

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