Exclusive: Krish Kandiah invites Tory shadow minister to help him ‘de-escalate fear and anger’ after BBC controversy
The theologian who accused Robert Jenrick of xenophobia on the BBC has invited the shadow justice minister to work with him to ease tensions over migration rather than “ramping up anti-immigrant sentiment”.
Dr Krish Kandiah’s comments on Radio 4’s Thought for the Day, raising concerns about Jenrick’s remarks about the safety of his daughters because of small boat arrivals, caused a row after a complaint from the shadow justice secretary, with the item being retrospectively edited by the BBC.
Kandiah expressed concern about the current atmosphere relating to migration and said he was extending an olive branch to Jenrick in the hope the two men could work together on the issue.
The initial remarks by Kandiah, who heads the Sanctuary Foundation refugee charity, prompted an angry response from Jenrick. The BBC said it had removed “some of the language used” by Kandiah from a version of Thought for the Day posted online, saying it was not appropriate for the faith-based radio segment.
