Tories launch independent review into discrimination in the party

The Conservative Party on Tuesday (17) announced the appointment of Professor Swaran Singh to lead the independent review into the handling of discrimination and prejudice, including Islamophobia.

Singh, a former commissioner of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, will look at how the Conservative Party can improve its procedures to ensure “any instances are isolated, and that there are robust processes in place to stamp them out as and when they occur”.

Commenting on his appointment, Singh, said: “I am privileged to have been appointed to chair the independent review into improving handling of complaints of prejudice and discrimination in the Conservative Party.”

James Cleverly, chairman of the Conservative Party, said: “The Conservative Party has always worked to act swiftly when allegations have been put to us and there are a wide range of sanctions to challenge and change behaviour.

“The Conservative Party will never stand by when it comes to prejudice and discrimination of any kind and it is right to hold an independent review, so we can stamp out unacceptable abuse that is not fit for public life.”

Singh’s appointment has been criticised by the Muslim Council of Britain and they have once again called for an inquiry specifically into Islamophobia within the party.

“This appointment is at risk of being seen in the same light as the Conservative party’s customary approach to Islamophobia, that of denial, dismissal and deceit,” Muslim Council of Britain’s general secretary, Harun Khan, was quoted as saying.

“We were promised an independent inquiry into Islamophobia specifically. Now we have a review that aims to broaden the scope to examine discrimination more generally. A laudable aim if it were not for the fact that the Conservative party is afflicted with a particular type of bigotry that it refuses to countenance.”