UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Tory MP Nick Timothy calls on the Crown Prosecution Service to stop using “Islamophobia” and issue guidance to protect people, not ideas.
As reported by The Telegraph, police and prosecutors face pressure to avoid using the term “Islamophobia” amid debates growing over its definition.
Nick Timothy, ex-Downing Street chief under former prime minister Theresa May, has raised worries with CPS and College of Policing.
The Labour government’s plan to define Islamophobia has sparked debate in Westminster over how the term should be used.
Critics warn the definition may limit free discussion, while others argue it helps track anti-Muslim hate.
Steve Reed, Housing and Communities Secretary, who replaced Angela Rayner, may refer to “anti-Muslim hate” rather than “Islamophobia” in his upcoming guidance.
What did Nick Timothy say about police use of “Islamophobia”?
Nick Timothy, MP for West Suffolk, warned that authorities were already using “Islamophobia” and had written to Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, and Andy Marsh, College of Policing chief.
In a letter, he wrote,
“I urge you to produce new guidance to make clear to your officers and prosecutors that the law exists to protect people from harm and discrimination, but not to protect religious ideas and beliefs from scrutiny or criticism.”
Mr Timothy stated,
“Steve Reed must come to the House of Commons and set out the Government’s policy. This drip-drip of information is no way for the Government to communicate with the public about such an important decision.”
The Tory MP wrote,
“We also have a problem with how the law is enforced by the police and prosecutors – and right now, they are getting the Public Order Act badly wrong. Intimidated by activists and extremists, they have allowed the Act to become a de facto blasphemy law.”
He said,
“Parliament should change the law to put these issues beyond doubt – but the College of Policing and CPS must also issue new guidance so the Public Order Act is no longer abused in this way,” adding, “Police and prosecutors must also ignore the dangerous and nonsensical concept of ‘Islamophobia’, which confuses the protection of people from harm with the protection of ideas from scrutiny. We must strike down Britain’s unofficial blasphemy laws for good.”
Mr Timothy has also approached Steve Reed to clarify the government’s stance. He will address the Policy Exchange think tank on Monday, presenting his arguments on the matter.
What did Jonathan Hall say about defining Islamophobia?
Jonathan Hall KC, the government’s top terrorism adviser, said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer should avoid defining Islamophobia to protect free speech.
He argued against defining Islamophobia, stating it targets religious ideas rather than protecting Muslims from hate.
Mr Hall warned that an unclear or flawed Islamophobia definition might restrict freedom of speech if enforced too aggressively by police and authorities.
He stated,
“I am against an Islamophobia definition because it’s directed at a thing, at religion, rather than an anti-Muslim hatred law, which is about protecting people. I am very conscious about the free speech debate. I’m not JD Vance [the US vice-president], and I have a fundamental support for the outline of the Online Safety Act… So I’m not an absolutist.”
The barrister said,
“But if you see what has happened with a comedian arrested at Heathrow for tweets, there appears to be a sort of degree of zealousness among some parts of law enforcement. And I suppose at the moment I wouldn’t want to trust something too spongy or inaccurate when it comes to [free] speech and expression with the authorities.”
What did Sir Keir Starmer say about tackling Islamophobia?
Sir Keir Starmer expressed his support for addressing Islamophobia, saying,
“This Islamophobia Awareness Month comes at a deeply troubling time for Britain’s Muslim communities. The recent surge in Islamophobia is devastating.”
The prime minister added,
“My Labour government will tackle religious discrimination. A government for everyone, one that unites, not divides.”
What did Steve Reed say about free speech and Islamophobia?
Steve Reed said free speech “must come first” and insisted that “people don’t have a right not to be offended.”
He added,
“I’m not going to bring in blasphemy laws by the backdoor. So let’s wait and see what the independent group comes up with and then we’ll take a view. But if people are concerned about it, there will be no infringement of free speech whatsoever.”
What did Robert Jenrick say about Islamophobia definition and free speech?
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick called the action “significant” and a “wake-up call” for the Government.
He stated,
“We already have robust laws against discrimination. As Jonathan Hall says, the proposed Islamophobia definition will censor legitimate criticism of Islam at a time when free speech in this country is already under threat.”
What did Fiyaz Mughal say about the Islamophobia definition?
Fiyaz Mughal, the founder of Tell Mama, a group to tackle anti-Muslim hate, stated,
“The independent reviewer of terrorism legislation is absolutely right to oppose the government’s plans to introduce an official definition of Islamophobia.”
He added,
“Former counter-terror police chiefs have warned for years a broad definition could be used by those being investigated by police and the security services to legally challenge those investigations and undermine counter-terrorism powers. By pursuing this, the Government is putting narrow electoral interests ahead of our national security.”
How did the APPG define Islamophobia?
All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims said,
“Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.”
Anti-Muslim hate incidents in the UK
Religious hate crimes against Muslims in England & Wales rose 19% in the year ending March 2025, the highest annual total on record, spiking after the Southport murders.
Tell Mama recorded 6,313 anti-Muslim incidents in 2024, a 43% increase from 2023 and more than double the figure from 2022.