Jacob Rees-Mogg uses ‘extremely racist’ term in Commons but says he didn’t know it was offensive

Jacob Rees-Mogg has claimed he didn’t know an “extremely offensive racist term” he used in the House of Commons was offensive.

The Commons leader has apologised after he yesterday used the phrase “Yellow Peril” – considered a racist metaphor for a perceived threat from East Asian people to the West – in response to a question from an MP. Rees-Mogg was using the term to describe the Liberal Democrats.

Tory MP Damien Moore had said people in his constituency felt “under attack from the vindictive policies of Labour-controlled Sefton Council” for trying to “impose a cycle network”.

In reply, Rees-Mogg said: “I hear gossip that (Moore) is actually working in collaboration, and whisper it quietly, with the Liberal Democrats in his area against these schemes, which I think shows how completely lunatic they must be to have created an alliance between him and the Yellow Peril.”

Shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire called on him to apologise.

Raising a point of order, the Labour MP said: “Unfortunately, and I hope that the Leader is doing this unintentionally, the Leader made use of an extremely offensive racist term, I find it really difficult to understand but I am sure it may be possible that he was not aware that it was, in relation to the Liberal Democrats.

“It would be really helpful if the Leader could reconsider his words.

“He has spoken powerfully and correctly over the last few months about the scourge of racism and his commitment to ending it.”

She added: “This use of casual racist phrases, however unintentional, does have an impact.

“It has a corrosive impact on the fight against racism which I know he shares as an aim.”

Rees-Mogg said he did not know what he said was racist and added his use of the term was “out of ignorance”.

He replied: “If I have used a term that is offensive I apologise profoundly. I had absolutely no intention of using a term that was offensive.

“I don’t actually know what term I used that was offensive, so if out of ignorance I have, I apologise.”

Reacting to the incident, people expressed their outrage:

It came as Labour MP Dawn Butler was asked to leave the Commons for branding Prime Minister Boris Johnson a “liar”.

Certainly a busy day in politics.