James Cleverly has distanced himself from Robert Jenrick’s decision to wear a “Hamas Are Terrorists” hoodie.
Jenrick has been pictured wearing the item of clothing while running in London, and again at a Conservative Friends of Israel fringe meeting at the Tory conference in Birmingham.
On Sky News this morning, Cleverly - who, like Jenrick, is one of the four remaining candidates in the Tory leadership race - was asked if he would do the same.
He replied: “What Robert does is a question that you need to put to Robert. I prefer to be more traditionally dressed when I address members of our party and our supporters.
“The fact is I was the home secretary who proscribed Hizbut Tahrir, I ejected foreign national criminals from this country, I deprived people of their British citizenship because they had a desire to destroy our country and murder our people.
“So I know exactly where I stand on this but I don’t feel I need to wear a t-shirt to prove it.”
Another of the leadership candidates, Tom Tugendhat, was also asked if he would wear one in a later Sky News interview.
He said: “I wouldn’t, but I support the sentiment. Hamas are terrorists. They are a proscribed terrorist organisation and anybody supporting them in the UK is committing a criminal offence.”