A race row broke out today after Labour MP Ann Cryer accused young Asians of drug dealing and terrorising communities.

The MP for Keighley in West Yorkshire said Asian ‘ghettos’ were rife with drug dealing that was destroying both the Asian community and race relations with whites. Her constituency is a few miles from Bradford, which was hit by the worst race riots for a decade last summer.

Her comments were described as ‘dangerous and irresponsible’ by Shahid Malik, a member of Labour’s National Executive and a former member of the Commission for Racial Equality. He said Cryer should consider resigning: “Her comments are offensive and damaging to race relations.”

Observer, 7 July 2002

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Race Row as MP Warns of ‘Asian Ghettos Rife With Drug Dealing’

By Pat Hurst and Alistair Keely

Press Association, 6 July 2002

A race row broke out today after a Labour MP accused young Asians of drug dealing and terrorising communities.

Ann Cryer, MP for Keighley in West Yorkshire, said Asian “ghettos” were rife with drug dealing and it was destroying both the Asian community and race relations with whites. But her comments were “dangerous and irresponsible”, according to one Asian leader, who said she should consider resigning over the remarks because they were “damaging to race relations”.

Mrs Cryer’s constituency is a few miles from Bradford, which was ravaged by the worst race riots for a decade last summer. She cited drug links between Pakistan and Asians living in Britain as one of factors feeding crime. She said: “In a period of six months there have been four killings of young Asian men, by young Asian men. It is all drug and gang related, all about who is selling drugs in which territory.”

The MP said young Asians did not have “professionals” to look up to because of “Asian flight” – once they become successful they leave the neighbourhood. Instead, youngsters in the Asian community saw drug dealers in big cars and smart suits as role models.

She claimed honest Asians were too frightened and intimidated to ask the police for help.

Answering the MP’s comments, Shahid Malik, a member of Labour’s National Executive Committee and a former member of the Commission for Racial Equality, said Mrs Cryer should consider resigning.

Mr Malik, from Burnley, described Mrs Cryer as a “constant menace” and her latest outburst “irresponsible and profoundly counter-productive”.

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Calls to reprimand race row MP

By Vikram Dodd

Guardian, 14 July 2001

A member of Labour’s ruling body yesterday called for the withdrawal of the whip from an MP who called for a curb on Muslim immigrants who cannot speak English. Shahid Malik accused Ann Cryer of “doing the BNP’s work” after she yesterday repeated remarks that Asian immigrants who could not speak English were “importing poverty”.

Mrs Cryer is Labour MP for Keighley, near Bradford, which was hit by riots last weekend.

Mr Malik, the only ethnic minority member of Labour’s national executive committee, said there was outrage among the Asian community at Mrs Cryer’s demand. His call for her suspension from the parliamentary Labour party was backed by the Muslim Council of Great Britain. Labour’s leadership yesterday refused to be drawn on the controversy.

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A Labour MP has called on the government to consider introducing restrictions on immigrant brides and grooms who cannot speak English. Ann Cryer, who represents Keighley in West Yorkshire, said many UK Muslims were held back economically and educationally by language difficulties.

But the MP’s views were described as “sinister” by Shahid Malik, who is a senior member of the Commission For Racial Equality and a Labour Party National Executive Committee member.

BBC News, 13 July 2001