Today during Prime Ministers Questions, I called out the Prime Minister for his complacency on tackling the rampant Islamophobia that continues to rage through the Tory party. In the space of just two weeks, several Conservative MPs have peddled far-right conspiracy theories about Islamists and Muslims taking over Britain including the former Prime Minister, Liz Truss. This follows a longstanding history of Islamophobia in the party, which shamefully continues to go unchallenged by successive Tory party leaders.

It is remarkable that the Prime Minister is continuing to go ahead with plans to broaden the definition of extremism despite failing to take action against the widespread and abhorrent extremism and Islamophobia within his own party.  Ahead of the UN’s International Day to Combat Islamophobia on 15th March, and in light of latest figures showing Islamophobic hate crime having increased by a horrific 335% since October 2023, it is more important than ever for the Prime Minister to show leadership on tackling the rampant extremism and Islamophobia within his own ranks.

On Thursday, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove will announce that the Government’s definition of extremism will be broadened to catch groups that subvert British democracy and to focus more on ideology than purely on words or actions. I am shocked by reports that the Governnment is planning to designate the Muslim Council of Britain as an extremist group at a time where Muslim communities are vulnerable to hate and violence caused by Islamophobia that this Tory government is endorsing by its refusal to take serious action against.

The Prime Ministers response was not good enough and I will continue to urge the Government to commit to tackling Islamophobia and that begins with officially recognising and defining Islamophobia first.

You can watch my question here or read the full text on Hansard here.