LONDON: Britain’s governing Conservative Party will ask a panel to investigate whether former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson breached its code of conduct with a column comparing women who wear face-covering veils to mail boxes and bank robbers.
The party has received complaints about the comments, and under Conservative rules they must be investigated by an independent panel. Possible penalties include expulsion from the party.
The party declined to give details Thursday, saying that the process is confidential.
Johnson, who quit the government last month over Brexit, wrote in the Daily Telegraph that it was “absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes.”
Johnson’s comments were criticized by Muslim groups and politicians including Prime Minister Theresa May, who urged Johnson to apologize. He has not said sorry.