To think that Kier Starmer shouldn't be welcoming extremists into Britain?

[Twiglets1]

Reported in The Telegraph today that Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed an alleged Islamist extremist, who labelled British people “dogs and monkeys” and called for Zionists to be killed, into the UK.

The Prime Minister said he was “delighted” that Alaa Abd el-Fattah had arrived from Egypt on Friday evening after a travel ban imposed by Cairo was lifted following lobbying by ministers.

Mr Abd el-Fattah, an activist with dual British-Egyptian citizenship, previously said that it was heroic to kill Zionists “including civilians”. He urged Londoners to burn Downing Street, told his supporters to kill police and said he hated white people.

Ministers are facing calls to revoke his British citizenship, which he was granted in 2021 while imprisoned in Egypt, where campaigners described him as a “prisoner of conscience”.

Sir Keir’s tweet yesterday said how “delighted” he was that Alaa Abd El-Fattah is back in this country. Does that seem a reasonable stance to take for someone who has claimed at the same time to be committed to "eradicating antisemitism in the UK"?

The tweet was definitely a gift to Farage so I don’t expect it will be allowed to be swept under the carpet.

Brits have been imprisoned for threatening tweets and the PM applauds this bloke. Wait for two tier Keir to raise its head again. Its as though civil unrest is wanted 🤔

Yep I’d never heard of him. Why a priority? Why was he delighted

I agree, but what i'm very much a "what is good for the goose is good for the gander"
If Starmer is being criticised for backing him and it doesn't ring true, then the same applies to the Tories/Sunak, Badenoch was also a key Govt minister in his Govt.

Imho his citizenship should be revoked, morally and politically the right think to do.

Has Priti Patel said anything? Abd el-Fattah was awarded citizenship under her watch. The tweets were known about then, but nobody seems to have said a dicky bird.

Yes indeed.... its all a bit embarrassing for the Conservatives.

It's beyond disgraceful. I'm so glad I didn't vote for this bunch of performative shitbrains.

😆 🤣 😂

It’s even worse for Starmer who tweeted he was delighted and it was a top priority.

Whoever does well from it will be a politician who doesn’t just let someone in like that, whilst imprisoning others for a tweet.

..... because like Sunak, he didn't know?

I'm pretty sure, that had Starmer known about these tweets, he wouldn't have endorsed this guy.

Same applies to Sunak...

Not as embarrassing as it is for a PM who wants people locked up for hate speech then welcomes aforementioned hatred with open arms.

I'm a labour supporter and have defended Starmer on the basis of him being at least a safe, steady pair of hands. However, I despair of him now. This demonstrates such poor and weak decision making.

It doesn't matter if the Tories also supported this person, it's happened on Starmer's watch. Allowing Islamist exteremists to enter this country puts us at risk and drives more people to the far right. Lose-lose situation, badly done.

The bluntness made me laugh too.

The laws that people were imprisoned under for tweets, were laws introduced by the Tories.

My point is no one comes out of this clean

Revoke his citizenship

I agree but then we are talking about government negligence and/or corruption. The state of UK politics all round.

No rational person needs notes to be pissed off about this. It’s the sanity and motives of people like you defending him that need looking at.

100% but I would go for cock up over conspiracy.

No PM, Tory or Lab wants this.

Agreed 👍

And now that he does know, what will he do?

I agree, but because Abd el-Fattah is a British citizen, he can't be denied entry into the UK. The Home Office has questions to answer about why he was awarded citizenship in the first place.

Well, i did say revoke, but will he?

This man poses a bigger danger to the UK than Shamina Begum, who is and was an unorganised idiot, this man is far from that, he will ferment unrest here too.

I have to disagree. Shamina Begum?

It doesn't matter if the Tories also supported this person, it's happened on Starmer's watch

Yes, @orangewasp, and had Starmer wanted to he could have made a point of "Look who the Tories supported and I kept out"

Never mind though; he can always try to pretend he "didn't know" about this horror's views and that "nobody told him"

Yes, I suppose Abd el-Fattah's citizenship could now be revoked and I wouldn't argue against that. But at the point he came back to the UK he was still a British citizen, so I don't think he could have been denied entry?

Defending him?

No not at all but its odd that all these people weren't bothered to find out who Rishi Sunak and Patel were trying to release and who made a priority to do so, inc granting citizenship too in 2022 and 2023.

So this outrage is driven by political opportunism, not genuine concern about who we support and give citizenship too.