LONDON: Plans to tackle Islamophobia within the Conservative Party have been hampered by successive political crises and a series of leadership changes in Britain’s governing party.
Prof. Swaran Singh, former UK equality and human rights commissioner, said the Conservatives have been “slow” to implement recommendations from an original inquiry he conducted into Islamophobia within the party.
That inquiry found that rhetoric from senior figures, including former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, had given the impression that the Conservatives were “insensitive” to Muslim communities.
In an update on the party’s progress following the report’s publication, Singh said the Conservatives have a “mixed” record when it comes to training members about Islamophobia, and no official complaints process has been established to handle allegations.
“Politics is a rough business, but there is no reason why the complaints process should be indifferent or abrasive to the experience of individuals involved,” the report said.
Singh said a series of leadership changes — Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak have all occupied the position of prime minister since the report was released — has hampered efforts to address his findings, adding: “It just took forever for them to focus on this.
“The two years since the publication of the report have seen considerable political upheaval in the UK. In that time, the Conservative party has had three leaders and seven chairs. This turmoil has impacted on the party’s efforts to implement our recommendations.
“Change took longer than expected, and challenges resulting from the interdependencies between recommendations contributed to delays in implementation.”
Singh said the “biggest problem” for the Conservatives is addressing issues at a local level with the lack of a complaints process or training programs.
However, he welcomed the party’s “wholehearted acceptance” that his recommendations need to be put in place.
In his update, Singh said 212 complaints relating to 137 incidents had been made in the three months to June 2022, including five complaints of bullying or intimidation, three of sexual assault, two of criminal activity, and one of a party member contributing to an “alt-right” website.
Conservative Chairman Greg Hands said: “The party has made significant progress on Prof. Singh’s recommendations with 25 complete and just six ongoing. There is, however, still work to be done and this is a process of continual improvement.”
