Speaker at National Conservatism conference accused of downplaying Holocaust after saying Germany ‘mucked up’

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Prominent public intellectual Douglas Murray is facing criticism over comments he made at the National Conservatism Conference which critics say downplayed the Holocaust and Nazism. It's just that there was something wrong with nationalism in Germany.” “I don't see why no one should be allowed to love their country because the Germans mucked up twice in a century.” His comments have stoked controversy surrounding the conference at which prominent Tories including Home Secretary Suella Braverman, Secretary for Levelling Up Michael Gove, Jacob Rees-Mogg, and Lee Anderson agreed to speak. Saying that Germany “mucked up” trivialises and minimises the fact that the Nazis systematically murdered 6 million Jews during the Holocaust.” Speaking to The Independent Tory Peer Lord Eric Pickles, Co-Chair of the United Kingdom’s Holocaust Memorial Foundation and Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust issues said: “It is a good thing to be proud of and love your own country. Most notably, speaking at the conference Rees-Mogg said: “Parties that try and gerrymander end up finding their clever scheme comes back to bite them, as dare I say we found by insisting on voter ID for elections.” “We found the people who didn’t have ID were elderly and they by and large voted Conservative, so we made it hard for our own voters and we upset a system that worked perfectly well.” Rees-Mogg’s comments were termed “deeply troubling” by Labour MP Dawn Butler.