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The prominent Tory backbencher leapt to the defence of former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson as he returned from his holiday in Italy this afternoon.
Mr Johnson, who has so far refused to apologise, could face disciplinary action over his controversial comments where he compared Muslim women in burkas to bank robbers.
But Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg said his colleague was “pointing out that the burka is not an elegant form of dress”.
He told Sky News: “He was advocating for the liberal and relatively unpopular view there shouldn’t be any ban on any clothing.
“He is pointing out that the burka is not an elegant form of dress, and that actually is the purpose of the burka.
“The Quran says women should be covered to hide their beauty and the burka is there to do that,
“You may say that Boris Johnson was using more colourful language than you and I might choose, but I don’t think it’s mocking to point out what the purpose of the burka is.”
It comes after Mr Rees-Mogg suggested the attacks on Mr Johnson’s comment were a reflection of “envy” felt towards him because of “his many successes, popularity with voters and charisma”.
Boris Johnson is yet to respond to the furore sparked by the article, in which he opposed a ban on the burka or niqab, but branded the face-covering veils “ridiculous” and “oppressive” and said Muslim women wearing them looked like letter-boxes or bank robbers.
He made no comment to waiting reporters as he returned home from a holiday abroad on Saturday, but is expected to break his silence in his next Telegraph column on Monday.
Mr Johnson’s father Stanley has now leapt to his son’s defence, saying he was “spot on” in his comments, but should have gone further and called for a ban in certain circumstances.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Stanley Johnson said: “Yes, Boris used some colourful language.
“That’s called ‘freedom of speech’ or it was in my day. But he said what needed to be said.
“As a matter of fact, I would have liked him to have gone a bit further.
“He was against ‘banning the ‘. But surely, there are circumstances where a ban or appropriate restrictions would be in order.
“Shouldn’t female school-teachers, nurses or doctors be seen as well as heard? At least, the House of Commons could have a sensible debate on this issue.”
Mr Johnson Sr said support for his son’s views was “near-universal” among people he spoke to in Somerset.
And he added: “Why the all furore? Why has this disastrous ‘blue-on-blue’ warfare broken out?
“The Chairman of the Conservative Party is setting up a Committee of Enquiry into whether Boris’s use of the word ‘letter box’ breaches party rules.
“If that isn’t an own-goal, I don’t know what is. Mr Corbyn must be rubbing his hands with glee.”
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