A Labour member of Utrecht’s provincial government has left the party, saying the PvdA is not involved sufficiently in ‘activism’ and is ‘too influenced by mosques’.

Bert de Vries describes the Labour party as ‘secular, but every election it runs to the mosque to get votes and put mosque-goers on its list of candidates’.

‘Let us be fair about this,’ he told Radio 1 news. ‘Candidates are partly chosen because of their supporters in the mosques. And that is not the most progressive part of the Netherlands.’

He also criticised the way party members behave towards each other, saying meetings were organised behind his back after his criticism had become known.

De Vries’ resignation comes just days after the party expelled two Dutch Turkish parliamentarians because they disagreed with the official line on integration.

De Vries says he will continue to take his seat on the provincial council as an independent. New provincial elections take place next March.

The PvdA says in a short reaction on the local website that it ‘does not recognise’ the picture painted by De Vries.