Conservative Islamophobia: Anti-Muslim sentiment “remains a problem” within Conservative Party, report says | Political news

Anti-Muslim sentiment “remains a problem” within the Conservative Party, according to an independent report.

Former Equality and Human Rights Commissioner Professor Swaran Singh analyzed 1,418 complaints relating to 727 separate incidents recorded in the Conservatives’ complaints database between 2015 and 2020.

In a 44,000-word report of his findings, he said: “Judging by the extent of the party’s own complaints and findings of misconduct that relate to anti-Muslim speech and behavior, the anti-Muslim sentiment remains a problem within the party.

“It harms the party and alienates a significant part of society.”

Professor Singh’s criticism came almost two years after all five contenders for the 2019 Tory leadership race – including eventual winner Boris Johnson – embarked on an independent investigation into allegations of Islamophobia within the party.

He also found:

• Two-thirds of all incidents reported to the complaints team at Conservative headquarters involved allegations of anti-Muslim discrimination
• Three-quarters of all incidents recorded in the Conservatives’ complaints database involved social media
• High-profile incidents, such as remarks made during Lord Goldsmith’s election campaign in London and Mr Johnson’s comments on Muslim women in burqas, “make many feel that the party and its leaders are callous to Muslim communities “
• The Conservatives’ complaints system “needs to be overhauled” due to its “underfunded and insufficiently trained” complaints team, a “weak” data collection system and “poor” communication between officials, complainants and respondents
• There has also been a “lack of transparency” in the complaints process, while there are no clear guidelines as to what behavior should be sanctioned.
• But there is “no evidence” that complaints related to Islam are treated any differently from those related to other forms of …