Roger Scruton, chair of the UK government's Building Better, Building Beautiful commission, is under scrutiny for voicing opinions on Jewish people, rape and homosexuality.
The Conservative government is facing calls to remove Scruton from the new post, where he will "advocate for beauty in the built environment", after statements he made in past lectures resurfaced.
The writer and philosopher had made controversial statements on topics including date rape and LGBT+ adoption.
Scruton said there is "no such crime" as date rape
Buzzfeed News has published footage of Scruton giving a talk in the US in 2005. In it, he claimed there is "no such crime" as date rape.
"When a woman cries date rape what she means is the whole thing went too quickly," Scruton told the audience. In a 2014 speech published on his website, Scruton said the Jewish "intelligentsia" in Budapest "form part of the extensive networks around the Soros empire".
Luciana Berger, the Jewish MP for Liverpool Wavertree, wrote on Twitter: "An individual who peddles antisemitic conspiracy theories has no place advising government about anything."
She called on prime minister Theresa May to intervene, and housing secretary James Brokenshire to "urgently reconsider" Scruton's appointment as chair.
Commission chair said homosexuality "is not normal"
Scruton is also being attacked over a 2007 piece he wrote for the Telegraph, w...