Burnham accuses political rivals of 'unacceptable' language as Rayner prepares to appoint an 'anti-Muslim hostility' tsar

Max Thompson, Campaigns Officer

28 October 2026

Andy Burnham has met Muslim community leaders in Downing Street and accused his political rivals of using 'unacceptable' language when it comes to Islam.

At the meeting yesterday, the Prime Minister was accompanied by Angela Rayner, the Communities Secretary, who began work on the Islamophobia definition, since repackaged as 'anti-Muslim hostility'.

Speaking to Muslim leaders around the Cabinet table, Mr Burnham said:

"We want to counter any form of hatred, discrimination, Islamophobia, wherever we find it and work with you to bring forward an agenda that says that to the community."

"And I think perhaps the way the political debate is at times, Angela referenced some of the positions of opposition parties to us anyway, they are completely unacceptable."

"And some of the language that they use about the community is unacceptable."

"We just need to find ways with you to demonstrate that more and more."

This is shameless, and another example of Labour accusing those who legitimately criticise Islam, its history, and its practices. It is also another sign of Labour chasing voters who have deserted the party in recent years — and sacrificing free speech on the altar of electoral ambition.

Labour MPs have repeatedly branded opposition politicians who criticise Islam "Islamophobic". Earlier this year, twenty-six Labour MPs reported Reform UK to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) over its comments about Islam.

Additionally, Labour MPs also reported the Conservative Shadow Justice Secretary, Nick Timothy, to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and branded him "Islamophobic". He even faced calls for his sacking from the then Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, after criticising a mass Muslim prayer event in Trafalgar Square. Sir Keir also claimed at the time that the Conservatives had a "problem with Muslims".

But that was not the only thing to come out of the meeting. It has been reported that Angela Rayner told Muslim community leaders that she was set to announce the appointment of an "anti-Muslim hostility" tsar this week. This was a promise made by her predecessor, Steve Reed, when he announced the publication of the non-statutory definition in the House of Commons in March.

We must remember that Angela Rayner appointed five people to the working group tasked with drafting the definition, all of whom were already sympathetic to the case for one. The Free Speech Union also revealed that each of these five individuals had troubling links to Islamist organisations, including the Muslim Council of Britain and Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND), with which successive governments have maintained a policy of non-engagement because of concerns about extremism.

Since the publication of the "anti-Muslim hostility" definition in March, it has been weaponised to silence people who wish to legitimately criticise, debate or mock Islam — including private citizens, politicians and comedians.

It has also made it harder to speak about issues such as Islamist extremism and the grooming gangs scandal.

When the working group launched a consultation to inform the definition, it did not invite the Free Speech Union or the EHRC to respond, despite both having raised concerns about the definition's impact on free speech.

The Communities Department, which Rayner leads, also said it had deleted all responses to the working group's consultation — responses that were vital to drafting the definition. This was an apparent breach of the Government's own data policy. But after pressure from Nick Timothy and the threat of legal action from the Free Speech Union, the department admitted that it did have the responses after all, but said it would not disclose them to the Free Speech Union.

This has only fuelled speculation that the Government allowed extremists to influence what is now Britain's de facto Islamic blasphemy law.

So it all raises the question: who on earth is Angela Rayner going to appoint as the new Islamophobia tsar?

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