Dawn Butler MP calls out Islamophobia in the Conservative Party

These past weeks we have witnessed horrendous levels of Islamophobia from the Conservative Party. The language we use in politics is important and what we see from the Conservatives is dangerous. I lost my dear friend, Jo Cox, to a right-wing extremist and we lost David Amess too.

I had to call out Lee Anderson’s comments on GB News after he accused Sadiq Khan of being controlled by Islamists, which is why I wrote to the Prime Minister calling on him to suspend the whip. I also called on Rishi Sunak to do the same for Liz Truss after scaremongering in an interview with Steve Bannon over a “radical jihadist party” getting seats in Parliament and so too for Suella Braverman after writing in The Telegraph that “Islamists are in charge of Britain now”.

This is unacceptable.

I tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) calling out their collective behaviour entitled “Conduct of the hon. Member for Ashfield and the Rt hon. Members for Fareham and Southwest Norfolk”.

The EDM reads as follow:

That this House is shocked and appalled by the recent conduct of certain Members in respect of their remarks relating to Muslims; believes that the recent remarks made by the hon. Member for Ashfield and the Rt hon. Members for Fareham and South West Norfolk are Islamophobic and constitute a breach of the Nolan Principles of Leadership; condemns the reported 365% rise in reports of Islamophobia; notes with concern the Prime Minister's reluctance to use the word Islamophobia in the House of Commons; calls for the Prime Minister to withdraw the Whip from the aforementioned Members and any other found to use anti-Muslim remarks; and further calls for increased effort and funding towards tackling the scourge of Islamophobia including the appointment of an independent adviser.

To read the full list of signatories please visit the EDM website here:

https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/61926/conduct-of-the-hon-member-for-ashfield-and-the-rt-hon-members-for-fareham-and-south-west-norfolk