Yesterday, after having first indicated that the Conservative Party would not be making on comment on the Geert Wilders row, shadow home secretary Chris Grayling did issue a statement in which he attacked the Government’s inconsistency over which "extremists" it would and wouldn’t allow into this country.
He did not, however, appear to want to condemn the Government’s decision to ban Mr Wilders from entering Britain, saying in fact that the Conservatives supported the ban if he has "expressed views that represent a threat to public security".
George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, has this afternoon commented on the matter to the Manchester Evening News – and whilst he repeats Mr Grayling’s point about the Government’s inconsistency, he seems to suggest that the ban was wrong:
"My personal view
is by banning him [Wilders] in such a public way, he has been given far
more publicity than would have been the case. I am not sure how
thought-through this really was."
Jonathan Isaby