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Will Labour suspend the ‘Quran-gate’ councillor?

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Another troubling story out of West Yorkshire. Four pupils are reported to have been suspended from Wakefield’s Kettlethorpe High School after a copy of the Quran was scuffed by students on Wednesday. A meeting between the head teacher and ‘community leaders’ was called on Friday, with a West Yorkshire police officer even in attendance. The force subsequently confirmed to the BBC that they were ‘liaising’ with the school about the ‘minor damage’ to the text. The 14-year-old boy in question is claimed to be ‘highly autistic’ – another concerning detail.

So in light of all of this, Mr S was surprised to see a Labour councillor charging head-first into this tinderbox. Usman Ali released a statement on Friday night in which he claimed that the Quran had been ‘desecrated’ and that ‘all the authorities, namely, the police, the school and the local authority’ should be taking ‘swift and appropriate action to deal with this grave situation’.

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Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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