On Monday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak rebuffed allegations suggesting that his governing party harbors Islamophobic tendencies, explicitly denying such claims. He emphasized that remarks made by Conservative lawmaker Lee Anderson were deemed unacceptable, leading to Anderson's suspension from the party.
Anderson had made controversial remarks on Friday, suggesting that the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, was being influenced by Islamists. These remarks were widely condemned and resulted in Anderson's suspension from the Conservative Party on Saturday.
Responding to queries regarding the party's stance on Islamophobia, Sunak asserted during an interview with BBC radio that the Conservative Party does not harbor Islamophobic tendencies. He reiterated that Anderson's comments were inappropriate and unjustified, leading to the suspension of his party membership.
In the wake of Anderson's remarks, Sadiq Khan, known for advocating against various forms of discrimination including antisemitism, misogyny, and homophobia, denounced the comments as racist and Islamophobic. He expressed concerns that such remarks would exacerbate anti-Muslim sentiments.
A survey conducted by Savanta from February 16-18 revealed that 29 percent of Britons perceived the Conservatives as having an issue with Islamophobia, marking the highest among major British political parties according to the survey results.
