[Jimbuna]

Paul Scully: Former minister and MP sorry for 'no-go' areas comment

London Conservative MP and former minister Paul Scully has apologised for suggesting there are "no-go" areas in parts of Tower Hamlets.

He made the comment in radio and TV interviews on Monday, prompting accusations of Islamophobia and a rebuke from the prime minister.

Mr Scully had also said some people were "fearful for going out".

In a BBC Radio London interview on Tuesday, he said he "put his hands up" for using language he "regrets".

Mr Scully added he was "frustrated in the language" he used and lost "nuance" in the issues he wanted to get across.

The former minister for London, who was also a former mayoral candidate, said: "What I was trying to say, I thought I was being specific about but clearly not, is the fact that a lot of the conversation, and the vacuum that's allowed to then be filled by populists, is when prejudice builds up because of perception.

"There are areas of this country where there are tiny, tiny groups of people that cause people to feel uncomfortable in particular areas.

"That might be a white gang, that might be a black gang, a Muslim gang, whatever, and that then tends to write off whole communities for some people," he added.

The Sutton and Cheam MP described this perception about some communities as "totally inappropriate".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68412010