Housing secretary demands “urgent explanation” over housing association’s suspension of Ian Austin as former housing minister doubles down on comments

Michael Gove has said he is “deeply concerned” about a housing association’s suspension of its chair after a social media post about Hamas attracted criticism.

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Lord Ian Austin

Former Labour minister Lord Ian Austin was suspended last week after posting on X, formerly Twitter, “Everyone, better safe than sorry: before you go to bed, nip down and check you haven’t inadvertently got a death cult of Islamist murderers and rapists running their operations downstairs. It’s easily done.” The post, which attracted criticism on social media, was subsequently deleted.

Austin said the tweet referred to Israel’s claims that Hamas was operating within the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

Midland Heart, which manages 35,000 homes, suspended Austin as chair pending a decision on his future in a little under a fortnight’s time.

Glenn Harris, chief executive of Midland Heart, said: “Given the impact this has had on the reputation of our organisation and the upset it has caused, especially to our colleagues, the board unanimously feel this is the only course of action.” 

The housing secretary on Saturday expressed his unease about the decision on the X social media platform.

Gove said: “I am deeply concerned by Midland Heart’s actions in seeking to remove Lord Austin from their board. I will be writing to the board to demand an urgent meeting and explanation.

“Not only is Ian a champion for affordable housing, he has spent his career fighting racism. Islam is a religion of peace, but Islamists – including the proscribed terrorist organisation Hamas – are extremists characterised by violence and oppression who seek to undermine our democratic values.”

However, a source close to Midland Heart told Housing Today that the suspension was not just related to this one post but to an “escalating pattern” of controversial posts about Gaza.

>>See also: Midland Heart ‘on target’ to hit 4,000-home goal despite drop in completions

Austin caused controversy in 2021 when he posted a tweet showing a fake new flavour for Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for people in Gaza, named “Hamas Terror Misu” after the company announced it would stop selling its products in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In an article for the Times today Austin said the term ‘Islamists’ does not refer to Muslims in general and he coined the word to “distinguish clearly and carefully between the two.”

He said: “It is a disgrace to suggest all Muslims are Islamists and therefore extremists, to do so would in fact be racism…It is those who say my use of the word Islamist applies to all Muslims who are the real racists.”

Board member Llewelyn Graham, who is also chief executive of Nehemiah Housing, will act as interim chair while Lord Austin is suspended.

 

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