Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Imran Hussain and Keir Starmer

Wednesday 27th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I think the right hon. Lady has just read out the charge sheet against the last Government. Everything is broken, but the Opposition come here every week with absolutely nothing to offer except complaints—nothing constructive; no new ideas. They do not know what they are doing from one day to the next. They are living in a fantasy world in which everything was fine, apparently, for 14 years. Well, the country is fed up with those fantasies. It has got rid of those fantasies. We are going to take the hard decisions. The Opposition are jumping on every passing bandwagon, while we are taking the country forward.

[Imran Hussain (Bradford East) (Ind)]

Q8. As we enter the last week of Islamophobia Awareness Month, the Prime Minister will know that this year has been extraordinarily difficult for British Muslims on the receiving end of society’s most deplorable attitudes. They have been considered easy prey for the far right, and scapegoated by politicians endorsing institutional Islamophobia. The reality is that the emboldening and normalisation of Islamophobia, as highlighted in a number of reports, led to the race riots that we saw on the streets of Britain this summer, when mosques and those who are visibly Muslim were subjected to despicable attacks, with many left fearing for their lives. Will the Prime Minister condemn those in public office and positions of power who actively promote Islamophobia? Will he commit to adopting a definition today, and will he further outline what concrete steps the Government are taking to rip out Islamophobia at its roots, including in this place?

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is right to raise Islamophobia. There has been a concerning rise in Islamophobia and antisemitism over recent months, and we are committed to tackling all forms of hatred. We will work with others on an ongoing basis to make sure that we do.