Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Pro-Brexit group apologises to Labour MP Naz Shah for 'grooming gangs' jibe

By S Neeraj Krishna

A BREXIT campaign group has apologised and paid damages to Labour lawmaker Naz Shah after it called her a “grooming gangs apologist” in a social media post.


The Bradford West MP had initiated libel action against Leave.EU’s “horrendous” post in December last year that spurred online hate and death threats against her.

Shah said the post had impacted her family, too, with her children asking: “Mum, why do you get so much hate, why do people hate you so much?”

In a statement issued on Thursday (1), Leave.EU said: “On December 16, 2019 we posted a Facebook post which described Naz Shah MP as a ‘grooming gangs apologist’.

“While the publication had been intended to be satirical; we appreciate that it was ill-judged and untrue. We accept that Ms Shah is not an ‘apologist’ for grooming gangs but is a vociferous campaigner for victims of grooming gangs.

“We apologise for the distress caused by it and have paid Ms Shah damages for libel.”

The post was reportedly intended to take a jibe at possible Labour leadership contenders to succeed Jeremy Corbyn.

Though the post was pulled down within a day, it went viral and its screenshots continued to be circulated among her abusive critics, said Shah.

Notably, last year, a man had been jailed for three months for sending her an email with racist slurs and threats, accusing her of antisemitism and attempting to hush up victims of the Rotherham child abuse scandal.

In June this year, the Conservative Party suspended one of its activists for saying Shah should “go back to Pakistan”.

“I’m one of the most abused MPs on Twitter because of this allegation,” the shadow minister for community cohesion added.

“It’s horrible, it’s really horrible.

“The allegation of me being a grooming apologist has been horrendous.

“The fact they’ve accepted that I’m a vociferous campaigner against grooming is important to me.

“This is the kind of stuff that’s used against people in public life and other MPs. It’s just not fair. It’s just not right for it to happen.”

After accepting the apology, Shah tweeted that she would “now focus on continuing to support women and children who are victims of abuse”.

Shah also stressed that she had never “shied away” from speaking out on grooming gangs, even before she got elected to Parliament in 2015.

“Islamic communities are absolutely appalled by it (child sexual exploitation). People I talk to are appalled by it,” she said.

“I’m on record talking about, I’ve talked about it on Asian media channels and to the community. It’s not something I’ve shied away from at all and I don’t intend to in the future.”

Shah said she could not elaborate on the damages received without legal advice, adding that she welcomed “the apology and just want to draw a line under it and get on”.

“I’m not going to let a tweet that was up there for eight minutes, which was removed, define my life and my politics,” she said.

“I’m just happy with the apology. It was never about anything else.”

More For You

Court to review teen's sentence in Bhim Kohli case
Bhim Kohli

Court to review teen's sentence in Bhim Kohli case

THE seven-year prison sentence handed to a 15-year-old boy convicted of the manslaughter of 80-year-old Bhim Sen Kohli is to be reviewed under the UK’s Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

The Attorney General’s Office confirmed on Friday (5) that the teenager’s sentence will now be considered by the Court of Appeal.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dalai Lama hopes to live 'beyond 130 years'

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama attends a prayer meet held for his long life at the Dalai Lama temple in the northern hill town of Dharamshala, India, July 5, 2025. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

Dalai Lama hopes to live 'beyond 130 years'

THE Dalai Lama said on Saturday (5) he hopes to live until he is more than 130 years old, two decades longer than his previous prediction, following his assurance to followers that he would reincarnate as the spiritual head of the faith upon his death.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner was speaking during a ceremony organised by his followers to offer prayers for his long life, ahead of his 90th birthday on Sunday (6), and as China insists it will choose his successor. The Dalai Lama told Reuters in December he might live to 110.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK heatwave by mid-July

Daytime temperatures meeting or exceeding set thresholds of 25°C

iStock

Met Office warns of potential third UK heatwave by mid-July

Key points

  • Met Office forecasts rising temperatures by mid-July
  • Possible third heatwave after record-breaking June
  • High pressure system likely to bring hot air from the Atlantic
  • Yellow rain warning and flood alerts issued in parts of Scotland and Cumbria

Possible heatwave to return by mid-July

The UK could experience its third heatwave in a month by mid-July, the Met Office has said. Forecasters expect rising heat and humidity during the second weekend of July, following two weekends of unusually warm weather in late June.

June was officially the hottest on record in England, and the return of high temperatures could mean another heatwave for parts of the country. However, the Met Office cautioned that it is too early to confirm how hot conditions will get.

Keep ReadingShow less
crypto

Two men have been jailed for defrauding investors of £1.5 million through a fake crypto investment scheme. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Two jailed over £1.5m crypto investment scam

TWO people who duped investors of £1.5 million by selling fake investments in crypto have been jailed for 12 years, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said.

Raymondip Bedi, of Bromley, and Patrick Mavanga, of Peckham, conned at least 65 people by cold-calling them between February 2017 and June 2019. They operated companies including CCX Capital and Astaria Group LLP.

Keep ReadingShow less
Manchester Police probes over 1,000 child sexual abuse suspects

Photo for representation. (iStock)

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Manchester Police probes over 1,000 child sexual abuse suspects

GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE is now investigating more than 1,000 child sexual abuse suspects, following years of public criticism and institutional failings in tackling child sexual exploitation.

A new report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has revealed the force has made “significant improvements” in dealing with group-based sexual abuse and related crimes.

Keep ReadingShow less