Labour must answer questions on Islamophobia amid 'drip-drip' of information

Communities Secretary Steve Reed must set out the Government's plans for a definition of Islamophobia following a "drip-drip" of information to the public, a Tory MP has demanded.

On Sunday, Nick Timothy wrote to Mr Reed to say: "Steve Reed must come to the House of Commons and set out the Government's policy. This drip-drip of information is no way for the Government to communicate with the public about such an important decision. We also have a problem with how the law is enforced by the police and prosecutors and right now, they are getting the Public Order Act badly wrong.

"Intimidated by activists and extremists, they have allowed the Act to become a de facto blasphemy law.

"Parliament should change the law to put these issues beyond doubt - but the College of Policing and CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] must also issue new guidance so the Public Order Act is no longer abused in this way.

"Police and prosecutors must also ignore the dangerous and nonsensical concept of 'Islamophobia', which confuses the protection of people from harm with the protection of ideas from scrutiny. We must strike down Britain's unofficial blasphemy laws for good."

Labour has torn up its definition of Islamophobia amid fears it could threaten free speech.

A party working group has now drawn up new wording that will replace the controversial definition it adopted in 2019, substituting the term "Islamophobia" with "anti-Muslim hate".

Crucially, it will remove all references to "Muslimness", it has been reported.