A TORY MP has said he has reported a suspended Reform parliamentarian to the Westminster authorities, claiming he played a role in calling a journalist a racial slur.
Ben Obese-Jecty has written to the Standards Commissioner to highlight a post by convicted domestic abuser James McMurdock, which set off a chain of replies to spell out “n****r” in reference to a black Sky News journalist.
In a Twitter/X post under a story by Guido Fawkes, McMurdock appears to have tweeted the letter N, starting what is called an “N-tower”, according to a screenshot put out by Obese-Jecty.
An “N-tower” is a move used by racist internet trolls who each take turns posting one letter to spell the N-word.
Obese-Jecty (above, right) said: “Having received this type of racial abuse myself, amid a recent surge in extreme, racist language online from far-right accounts, I am shocked and disgusted to see an instance that appears to involve, and indeed appears to have been instigated by, a fellow Member of Parliament.
“There should be no place in Parliament for those who use their position to target, and attempt to intimidate, a free press.
“I welcome a clear and credible explanation from James McMurdock that illustrates how his apparent part in this unacceptable abuse was a misunderstanding and would encourage him to condemn this type of abuse in the strongest possible terms.”
In response, McMurdock wrote: “I believe, Ben Obese Jechty [sic], a stting [sic] Member of Parliament has broken the Malicious Communications Act 1988 and Communications Act 2003, by writing the N-word in full. I find his conduct grossly offensive, indecent, and obscene.
“As you know, this is a criminal offence. I will not repeat his language but have photo evidence.”
He has elsewhere claimed that Obese-Jecty has been reported to the police.
Obese-Jecty, in his letter to the Standards Commissioner, said that McMurdock’s post appeared to the code of conduct for MPs.
He said: “In deleting the post without challenging the subsequent spelling out of the word ‘N****R’ started by him, it also illustrates a failure to challenge poor behaviour and an absence of moral courage by taking no steps to curtail the abusive message.
“Mr McMurdock will be able to clarify what he intended to do by apparently starting the 'N-Tower' and his X archive, available to download only by him, should evidence both the original post and its subsequent deletion. I would hope that he would feel able to submit the archive in support of any investigation.”
McMurdock suspended himself from Reform UK and subsequently permanently left after he was found to have claimed Covid loans worth £70,000 on two companies, one of which had negligible assets and the other which was dormant.
He was previously revealed to have repeatedly kicked an ex-girlfriend outside a nightclub in 2006 aged 19. McMurdock had previously minimised the assault as him having merely “pushed” the victim. He served 21 days in a young offenders’ institution for the crime.
A spokesperson for the Standards Commissioner said that the office was “aware of this matter” and that if an inquiry was opened it would be published on its website.
McMurdock was approached for comment.
