Evidence of anti-Muslim discrimination in the Conservative Party is likely just the tip of the iceberg

Editorial: Professor Swaran Singh was a little soft on some of the top Tories – it is obvious there is work that needs to be done

(Dave Brown)

The review of anti-Muslim sentiment in the Conservative Party by Professor Swaran Singh makes for uncomfortable reading, and was surely meant to. The review, commissioned as long ago as December 2019, had a considerable body of credible evidence to get through and testimony to examine.

If anything, the 1,418 complaints relating to 727 separate incidents recorded by the party between 2010 and 2015 must represent the tip of a much larger iceberg, given that so many other incidents and “microaggressions” will have gone unreported. The sheer volume of complaints, and what they represent, is indictment enough of the modern Conservative Party.

The fact is that it doesn’t seem to matter that much how much work David Cameron did on widening the mix of candidates in safe Conservative seats; or how many people of colour Theresa May or Boris Johnson appointed to their governments and to jobs in No 10 – the casual Islamophobia festering around the Conservative grassroots appears to be a major issue, even if Prof Singh’s review suggests that claims of “institutional racism” were not borne out. It beggars belief to suppose it has been eradicated in the past few months.