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David Cameron today defended his attack on the funding of schools linked to Islamic extremists despite the party admitting mistakes.
“Two schools are being funded and run by an organisation with links to extremists — no one is denying that,” said the Tory leader.
However, the Conservatives admitted they had made factual errors in the attack at Prime Minister's Questions, which was “not a perfect operation”.
There were recriminations from some MPs towards shadow schools minister Michael Gove's team for failing to spot the elephant traps.
The row blew up after Mr Cameron accused the Government of “funding extremists”.
The schools, in Haringey and Slough, are run by the Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation. Mr Cameron described this as “a front” for the extremist group Hizb ut Tahrir.
Reader views (36)
"Cameron was made to look the puerile inexperienced leader he really is, with his silly, schoolboy claims that undermined his efforts at getting the british public to take him seriously. Labour will now probably get reelectedin 2010. - Keith Price"
This, taken alongside your usual gushing hero-worship of the PM, is about the level I've come to expect from you mate. I have little doubt that if Cameron were to come out with a word for word copy of the Labour creed you'd still be describing him in the same mindless parrot-like manner. Not too many people left who don't find your wittering nonsense amusing at best. I just wonder what excuse you'll come out with when your fantasies come unglued after the election....
- Rogan, Irving, 27/11/2009 08:34
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"at the end of the day everyone wants to rule the world, it's just a question of how much support and resources you have.
the west has ruled the world for centuries through force and intimidation so what's the problem.
you get what you give no? - Amir, London"
So you're saying that there IS a conscious effort to destabilise western nations, and there IS a an intent to force the rest of the world to conform to Islamic fundamentalist demands - else why would you be suggesting/implying that it is the turn of Islam to rule the roost now?
There's another good old western saying - two wrongs don't make a right. And oh yeah, as I recall my history Islamic leaders once tried to rule the then advanced 'west' world by force, with Spain nearly completely overrun and France threatened before they could be turned back. Instead of reaching out with the good that had developed under Islam, they tried conquest. You really shouldn't use history to justify modern events - there's usually more to history than events convenient to your own agenda.
- Rogan, Irving, 27/11/2009 07:28
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Cameron was made to look the puerile inexperienced leader he really is, with his silly, schoolboy claims that undermined his efforts at getting the british public to take him seriously. Labour will now probably get reelectedin 2010
- Keith Price, Luton, Emgland, 26/11/2009 16:11
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Nobody likes open plan but beggars can't be choosers. If the Asians want something else let them buy it themselves. If they want the British taxpayer to house them for free then they can take what they're given.
- Lillian, London, UK, 26/11/2009 16:05
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Balls, like most of Nu Labor, is a socialist. And there is much similarity in the repressive, chip on shoulder, vengeful nature of (radical) Islam and socialism. Hence, the country is dumbing down education, installing CCTV cameras everywhere (Google Croydon - to catch yobs? No, to monitor the public!) and collecting our DNA. Unless the current regime are overthrown, in a few years, Britain will be a technology ruled dystopia where any protest is tagged as terrorism. The irony of it all. Bring back Mrs. T, she should would have none of this. Hopefully Cameron will stay strong.
- Worried, London, 26/11/2009 15:58
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FACT 1. The schools in question have links with a known extremist organization,
whether it be directly or one step removed.
FACT 2. They received £113,000 in funding - that it was not part of a fund to prevent
violent extremism makes no difference, they still got the money.
FACT 3. Labour have again been exposed as liars and had Cameron not exposed the
these goings on, Labour would have done nothing about it as they are in
desperate need of the Muslim vote, as the constant and relentless
appeasement of the Muslim population proves.
FACT 4. Labour know they are wrong, that is why they are desperately trying to
undermine Cameron's argument on a technicality, even though the
main thrust of it is correct and still stands.
FACT 5. Cameron had the courage to go against political correctness and expose
wrong doings, something no Labour politician would ever do.
FACT 6. The rise in Islamic extremism in the UK is a direct result of Labour's open
door policy on immigration, (part of their social engineering project to force
multiculturalism on the UK), but instead of tackling the problem by deporting
extemists and other undesirables, they turn a blind eye, not wanting to upset
a demographic they rely heavily on for votes.
- Daniel, Manchester UK, 26/11/2009 14:11
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@ Richard, London UK
There are more sources of evidence than just the tabloids matey. You should get out more often.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 26/11/2009 14:11
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Melvyn - not sure why you've picked out Eton as being a scandal for having charity status? I would guess some labour scaremongering flyer judging by your post
All independent schools have this status - on the grounds that they provide a public service.
You might have noticed in the article, that it was a fairly minor aspect of what Cameron said that was inaccurate (source of the funds, rather than the fact that funds have been given to these schools).
- Mark W, London, 26/11/2009 14:10
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Blair and Brown invade Iraq and Afghanistan on the grounds that it will destroy terrorism. Huge cost in lives and billions in taxpayers funds. Then a bit later, they hand over more taxpayers money, but in England now, to help educate the next generation of terrorists (who will now be British born and hold British passports). Sounds just the sort of thing we've come to expect from this useless, traitorous bunch of NULAB cronies.
- J Keating, romsey england, 26/11/2009 13:52
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At least Cameron has had the decency to admit that he made an error of judgement. Isn't it about time Gordon Brown admitted his many errors of judgement as Chancellor ans a PM (eg removing tax allowance on dividends thereby destroying the Pensions structure of the UK in one go), or Toby blair the same (eg taking us into an illegal war in Iraq). The erro by Cameron over this (whilst clearlt wrong) is NOTHING compared the the massive errors of Blair & Brown. Yet absolutely no acceptance or admission by either of them.
- Malcolm, London, 26/11/2009 13:51
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the schools were NOT linked to HT. so why shouldn't they get funding?
you can be Muslim and British at the same time. not all brittons have to be white and so called christian to have the same rights as everyone else.
at the end of the day everyone wants to rule the world, it's just a question of how much support and resources you have.
the west has ruled the world for centuries through force and intimidation so what's the problem.
you get what you give no?
- Amir, London, 26/11/2009 13:44
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This misses the point: we should not be supporting faith schooling whether islamic, mooonie or whatever.
- Alan, London, 26/11/2009 13:29
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This is "clearly" another way of justifying the moral panic that has been created towards the Islamic world in the West, just another tick to add to the Iraq war, what on earth we are doing in Afghanistan, to the Terrorism Laws across the City to what I witness on my commute every day into work where Police at Liverpool St Station seem to be turning up more and more and only stopping Asian or Black males and searching through their bags. It's all just part of the bigger scheme to keep up this moral panic that we need to be scared of the Islamic world so Britain and America can keep on doing what they want in these countries.
- Siobhan, London, 26/11/2009 13:16
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Gove is closely linked to the Policy Exchange think tank which has previously been in trouble for badly backed up stories about Islamic extremism (the Newsnight mosque bookshop story). They have neocon links in the USA as well as input into Boris Johnson's team at City Hall where they provided much of the early cock up potential by inadequate vetting of appointments. Total shower - I wouldn't trust them with my children's education in a million years.
- Tom, London, UK, 26/11/2009 13:00
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He may or may not have got the detail wrong, but the issue of Muslim extremism is there to be aired and he is to be congratulated on confronting this PC taboo subject so strongly.
- Tony Gee, London, 26/11/2009 12:57
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Frank - sorry, but most adults accept that you can't actually argue a point with any seriousness if you simply make up your own evidence to suit yourself. "Clearly linked"? Really?
- Richard, London UK, 26/11/2009 12:15
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@ Amjad, London
Please read below as you'll see it was funded by government funds!
The Government admits that the schools have received £113,000 in funding from the taxpayer.
Is taxpayers money not a government fund then?
No wonder the BNP are making progress, what a mess this country has become.
- Sarah, London, 26/11/2009 12:14
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What a plonker this Cameron guy is in not getting his facts right but this is par for the course for this party. And this shower wants to run the country - "The could not organise a rain dance in a tropical forest!"
As for many comments they have not read that it is Cameron who is wrong!!!
As for the comment on not funding muslim schools I take it this will also cover Jewish, Catholic and Church of England schools etc.(wonder if an agnostic school could get funding?) Although the biggest scandle is Eton which has somehow got charity status!
I hope Cameron makes a full apology to the house at next weeks PMQs and to Gordon Brown inparticular!!
Watching PMQs I wondered what Jack Straw said during this exchange and far from not knowing anything I reckon team GB knew all about this and let Cameron prove what a 92% plonker he really is!
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 26/11/2009 11:44
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The problem for this country is the state sponsored faith schools that both parties are pursuing with there something for nothing education policies,you will get extremists from ALL faiths trying to take advantage of the system,as well as being divisive,faith schools by definition have there own agenda.And the Tories intend to expand on faith schools if they ever get into power,as a result the problem will get worse. As for Cameron apologizing,he really should,but like all politicians he will find this difficult because once they go down that route they will spend the rest of there lives doing just that.come on really,have you ever known a honest and truthful politician!
- Kev, London-UK, 26/11/2009 11:28
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@ Bruce, London
The schools are clearly linked with Hizb ut Tahrir. I do not know where you got the idea they are not?
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 26/11/2009 11:22
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HT have consistently criticised other Muslim groups that have received funds from the State.
Funding a nursery where some of the parents may have extreme religious views is not illegal and is no different to funding a nursery or Catholics or Protestants or whatever.
If the government stopped funding all religious schools then there would be no argument. Until that happens, Muslim schools deserve funding as long as they don't preach extremism. This school has been inspected and does not do so.
- Stg, Peckham, 26/11/2009 11:21
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These "schools" should get ZERO taxpayer's money, whatever the category this money is listed under.
- Bingham Macnamara, lymington, hampshire, 26/11/2009 11:19
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It amazes me that the comments on this blog are still perpetuating the lie that the schools in question had links with Hizb ut Tahrir. David Cameron, who made the allegations, has backtracked. So why haven't the rest of you? I wonder why!
- Bruce, London, 26/11/2009 11:08
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I agree, at least Cameron had the courage to bring this up, even if it wasn't done perfectly. More than that, at least his party has the humility to admit when it gets things off the mark, compared to our apparently infallible government.
- John, Sussex, 26/11/2009 11:03
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Why is it that teachers can be fired for being members of the BNP but you can be a member of Hizb ut Tahrir, which is arguably much nastier, and be allowed to run a school.
- Kevin T, Beckenham, Kent, 26/11/2009 10:59
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Hizb ut Tahrir are committed to the overthrow of this country and replacement with an Islamic caliphate. They represent a clear and present danger to this country and therefore should be outlawed. They are not permitted to operate in Islamic countries.
- Adam, Harrow, UK, 26/11/2009 10:54
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@ Amjad, London
Seems you Muslims are completely out of step with the ground swell of feeling in this country over radical Islam. Hizb ut Tahrir are in the same camp as the BNP a bunch of minority extremists.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 26/11/2009 10:53
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I think mr Cameron should apologise if and when mr Blair to apologise for his lies over Iraq war and to Mr Brown to apoligies for his lies over the state of the economy and all the other lies and misleadings. I don't think david camerons comments will cost any one their life now or in the future but mr blairs and browns and whole of labour party's lies cost hundreds of british soldiers lifes and hundreds of thousands if not millions of iraqies lifes. I think public should judge who should opoligies for what!!
- Metin, bow, London, 26/11/2009 10:49
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This is completely insignificant when compared to the lies constantly peddled by ed balls and the other DCSF filth.
- Rob, Rochester, 26/11/2009 10:04
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It is well known throughout the Muslim Community that Hizb ut-Tahri(HT)is a non-violent organisation and never accepts any funding from any government. Unlike Mr Cameron and his party, HT does not milk the system for money. It is ironic that David Cameron has had to pay back money to the tax payer!!
While Britain is up to its neck in the war in Afghanistan and the economy is failing, Mr Cameron chooses to use his allotted questions at PMQs on a non-story. This reiterates the fact that Cameron is the true heir to Blair in attempts at cheap populism.
- Amjad, London, 26/11/2009 09:55
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Does it really matter which government pot this money came from. The govt admits the schools received it. NuLabour are only so exercised over this because of the pro immigrant vote they so badly need.
What has not been explained is why chunks were removed from the schools web site whilst PMQs was in progress.
This is a typical NuLabour defence. We know, that you know what has taken place was an abuse of public funds; but unless you can actually prove it we are going to deny what has taken place, never happened.
A little bit more research by the tories would have made the story stick; but NuLabour have been able to point to minor errors in the accusations to undermine the validity of what David Cameron said. Rather unfortunate but it did show that Gordon is unable to think on his feet. He is ok with questions from his patsy MPs but throw him a googlie like Cameorn and Clegg did over the Iraq War enquiry and he is all over the place.
- Brian G, Norfolk Gorleston, 26/11/2009 09:47
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There should be no state funded Muslim schools.
They are divisive & prone to extremism.
- British Not Racist, Reading, 26/11/2009 09:43
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I don't trust either politically but I'd trust Cameron to babysit, with Balls expect to come home to a burnt down house, my car in the front room of the house across the street and my children in intensive care.
- Bob, Cheam, 26/11/2009 09:20
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Nothing will detract from the fact that Labour have used tax payers money to fund a school for radical Muslims.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 26/11/2009 09:02
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Well done to Mr Cameron for having the guts to raise such issues - to be honest, I thought he wouldn't have it in him, because it is too politically incorrect.
It is a scandal that public money funds people who want to kill us.
- Kate, Harrow, London, UK, 26/11/2009 08:42
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"Mr Balls told BBC2's Newsnight: "The issue here is that a very divisive allegation was made about two schools which splits communities"
No, Mr Balls, the issue is about your spending our cash supporting extremists when you should instead be deporting them.
- St, London, 26/11/2009 08:06
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