After comparing Priti Patel’s efforts to crack down on the Channel’s small boats to Nazi propaganda chiefs, a candidate for the North Shropshire By-election was forced to issue a second apology within three days.
Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat) is the primary challenger to incumbent Conservatives. She told Home Secretary to rip out her copy ‘Goebbels’ manual’ – a reference Hitler’s right hand man in the Second World War.
This comment was in response to Ms Patel’s tweet, which stated: “Today we removed persons who arrived here by small boats.
“They previously applied for asylum somewhere else and were not legally allowed to stay in the UK. Activist lawyers continue to block removals, and I won’t stop until that route becomes unviable.
In response, Ms Morgan, who is trying to overturn a Tory majority of nearly 23,000, said: ‘I think we would all appreciate an explanation of the difference between a lawyer and an activist lawyer.
“In the interim, please take out your Goebbels manual. It is very unfitting for one of The Great Offices of State.”
Though the comments were deleted quickly online, there was a lot of backlash from MPs.
Helen Morgan, a Liberal Democrat and main opponent to the Conservatives incumbents, asked the Home Secretary for a copy of ‘Goebbels’ manual.
This comment was in response to Priti Patel’s tweet about clamping down small boats on the Channel
Andrew Percy is co-chairman of the APPG Against Antisemitism. Andrew Percy said to The Sun that “Comparisons with the Nazis” are not only invalid, but they also are offensive, inaccurate and reduce the memory of 6 million Jews and other Nazi victims.
“These throwaway comparisons undermining Holocaust education efforts risk encouraging antisemitism.”
The candidate told the newspaper: ‘I apologise for this insensitive tweet which I have taken down. Boris Johnson’s Conservatives have taken North Shropshire residents for granted.
It comes just days after Ms Morgan was forced into another apology after The Mail on Sunday uncovered social media posts appearing to liken the experience of Channel migrants to Jewish prisoners at Auschwitz.
The Lib Dem wrote on Twitter about her son’s experience of reading The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, in which the son of the camp commandant befriends a Jewish boy on the other side of the fence.
He said, “He observed that Nazis couldn’t do terrible things simply because they didn’t believe their victims were human beings.” She replied, “He is 11”.
“On Twitter this morning there were people discussing cancelling their RNLI donations due to having gotten ‘illegals.
‘The language used every day in this country – by the Government, press and people with thousands of followers on social media – it’s nothing short of chilling.
“We’ve travelled far too far on this road.” It is urgent that we turn around.
This comment was made in reference to Joseph Goebbels (Hitler’s right-hand man during World War II).
The same thread also featured a post by unidentified users that she liked: ‘Having visited Auschwitz concentration Camp in the recent past.
“It truly brings home man’s inhumanity towards man. The Conservative Party’s language and actions make me increasingly concerned about where the UK is heading and how it will affect its citizens.
After a scandal over lobbying, Owen Paterson, former Cabinet Minister, was forced to resign.
We have reached out to Ms. Morgan for more information.