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Jess Phillips has been accused of “making excuses for masked men shouting, abusing and intimidating members of the media”, after gangs of men in balaclavas turned out in Birmingham on Monday night.
Former home secretary James Cleverly called for the home office minister to “think about the consequences” of her words after the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley tweeted about violent scenes in her constituency.
Large groups of men, some sporting Palestinian flags, gathered outside a mosque in the Bordesley Green area after rumours circulated that the far right were planning on targeting it.
Footage later in the evening showed a number of incidents involving the masked men, some attacking passing cars and in another incident setting upon a man outside a pub.
A man with a knife attacked a Sky News van as the TV crew attempted to leave the area after being told they were not welcome, reporter Becky Johnson later said. Ms Johnson was interrupted by a protester on a motorbike who swore and made rude gestures at the camera while attempting to deliver a live report in Birmingham.
Ms Phillips suggested that the rumours of the far-right gathering had been deliberately spread in a bid to cause trouble.
“To be clear, all day rumours have been spread that a far-right group were coming and it was done entirely to get Muslim people out on the street to drive this content”, the Home Office minister tweeted. “It is misinformation being spread to create trouble.”
Responding to a second clip of a man in a balaclava swearing at the reporter, Ms Phillips said: “These people came to this location because it has been spread that racists were coming to attack them. This misinformation was spread entirely to create this content.”
Mr Cleverly criticised her for the comments, writing on social media: “Home Office ministers should not be making excuses for masked men shouting, abusing, and intimidating members of the media.
“Ministers are not commentators or casual observers, they are decision makers and need to think about the consequences of words and actions.”
Fellow Tory leadership candidate Tom Tugendhat also weighed in, saying: “These are dark days for our country. Violent mobs cannot be allowed to threaten the basic freedoms of our friends and neighbours.
“The government must urgently get a grip of the situation and end the lawless behaviour of a few.”
Ms Phillips, who was re-elected in her Birmingham Yardley constituency at the general election, described the election campaign as “absolutely horrible” after enduring abuse throughout.
Her majority in the seat, which she has held since 2015, was slashed to just 693 votes after being challenged by a Workers Party candidate campaigning on a pro-Gaza ticket.
Her acceptance speech was interrupted by boos, as well as shouts of “Shame on you” and “Free Palestine”.
Ms Phillips used the speech to thank West Midlands Police for its response to the “aggression that we have suffered” during the campaign, adding: “I didn’t bring my children here tonight because I knew this would happen and they deserve better.”
The MP resigned from the shadow front bench last year to vote in parliament for a ceasefire in Gaza. But the party as a whole has faced criticism for its response to the conflict after Sir Keir Starmer waited until December 2023 to call for a ceasefire.
Hundreds of people have been arrested after riots linked to the far right rocked major cities including Manchester, Liverpool and Hull.
Mosques are being offered greater protection with new emergency security as a result of the disorder seen across the UK.
The new measures, announced by the government on Sunday, build on the existing protective security for mosques scheme, speeding up the process in which they can apply for additional security personnel to be deployed.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir on Monday ordered a new “standing army” of specialist police officers to be set up to bring an end to the disorder after chairing an emergency Cobra meeting in the morning.
