JACOB REES-MOGG has defended his decision to share a video of a speech by a senior member of Germany’s far-right political party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD).

Yesterday evening, the Tory MP tweeted a video of the speech by AfD leader Alice Weidel and quoted her in relation to Brexit:

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In the speech, Weidel said the German government was partly responsible for Brexit due to its negligence and failure to help the UK. 

Last year the party produced election posters with the slogan ‘Islam-free schools!’ showing a group of light-skinned young people in a school corridor – an example that has been cited by people who have criticised Mogg’s Twitter post.

Labour MP David Lammy accused Rees-Mogg of promoting the “racist party”.

“Our country’s proudest moment was defeating the far right. Now we are supposed to sit back while xenophobes, nativists, nationalists and isolationists do their best to tear Europe apart again. We must not let them win,” he said.

Speaking to LBC radio, Rees-Mogg denied he was supporting the AfD.

“This is a speech made in the Bundestag of real importance because it shows a German view of Brexit,” he said.

“It is saying to Germans, you’re paying more for this and Angela Merkel has tied herself in knots with the French to the disadvantage of the Germans.

I think it’s important people know that this is a strand of German thinking.

“I don’t think retweeting is an endorsement of things that other people stand for. It’s just pointing out that there’s something interesting which is worth watching.”