Lee Anderson’s claim that the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, is controlled by Islamists has thrown the spotlight once again on Islamophobia within the Conservative party. While Anderson has had the whip withdrawn, it is clear that he would have been let off if he had simply apologised. Many of his colleagues were furious that he was even sanctioned; a grassroots Tory petition was set up demanding that the whip be restored as soon as possible, and Anderson says other Tory MPs have told him they believe he spoke the truth.
It’s clear from the events of the past week that Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment run deep in the Conservative party – but new polling from Hope Not Hate, conducted by Opinium earlier this month, illustrates the problem starkly.
