It’s recently been reported that there are serious rising cases of Islamophobia in the Conservative Party – something which I will be looking at in this blog post.
Accusations of Islamophobia fester themselves all the way to key-figures in the party; notably Boris Johnson. This issue has come to light more in the past few years, however in my opinion more should have been done easier.
Now, the most notable case was when Boris Johnson said that women who wear Burkas look like “letterboxes” and “bank robbers.” Quite rightly, these comments caused offence to many people however Boris Johnson to this day has not apologised for them. He has since been cleared from breaking Tory party rules (I don’t know how) but surely that’s not the point? If that came from the mouth of the prime minister, she would be forced to resign. To me, this is a clear example of Islamophobia and something you would expect from UKIP not the Conservatives.
Another case is from the 2020 Conservative candidate for Mayor of London, Shaun Bailey. He said, in a 2005 pamphlet “immigrants to the UK being allowed to “bring their culture, their country and any problems they might have with them” and observing non-Christian festivals has turned Britain into a “crime-ridden cesspool” and “robs Britain of its community”. He also shared a tweet calling incumbent mayor Sadiq Khan “mad mullah Khan of Londonistan“. Now, these comments were appalling in my opinion and I am shocked that someone with the audacity to make comments like that does not have the right to be the Mayor of London.
Quite blatantly, in my opinion, Islamophobia has been present in the Conservative Party and nothing is being done about it! Yes, 14 members have recently been suspended, but that’s not enough. Why wasn’t more done when Johnson made those comments, why wasn’t anything done years ago. The Conservative party still hasn’t adopted the recommended definition of Islamophobia into the party guidelines and code of conduct – that says it all to me. The Conservative party is falling apart, and this does not help matters. Islamophobia does not have a place in society, in this country, and in this world. It should not have a place in the party which governs the United Kingdom, and it should have been stamped out years ago.
What’s your view on Islamophobia within the Conservative Party? Let me know on Twitter (@baileyspolitics) and make sure to stay tuned for another blog post – very soon!
Bailey Ruth 