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Zac Goldsmith’s extremist attack line backfires

It’s not turning out to be a great week for Zac Goldsmith. While the Conservative MP continues to lag behind Labour’s Sadiq Khan in the polls, he has been accused of running a racist campaign. Despite this, Goldsmith showed no signs of watering down his attacks yesterday in an interview with the Evening Standard.

Goldsmith used the interview to criticise Khan for sharing platforms — and posing for a photo — with Suliman Gani, an Imam who says women are ‘subservient’ and speaks at segregated rallies.

‘To share a platform nine times with Suliman Gani, one of the most repellent figures in this country, you don’t do it by accident.’

However, the next time Goldsmith decides to criticise Khan for keeping bad company, he may want to check that he can’t be accused of doing the same. After reading Goldsmith’s comments, Gani tweeted a photo that is sure to leave the Tory mayoral candidate red-faced:

While the photo appears to be a one-off in contrast to Khan’s many run-ins with Gani, it’s an embarrassing slip-up in light of their campaign. In fact, CCHQ may also want to check which of their politicians have met with Gani before criticising Labour MPs:

A spokesman for Goldsmith says: ‘there are a million miles between Khan’s repeated errors in judgement and Zac getting approached for a photo by a stranger’. Does this mean Goldsmith doesn’t know what ‘one of the most repellent figures in this country’ looks like?

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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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