Shadow minister of state for women and equalities Naz Shah (left) said the Conservative Party had an ‘institutional problem with Islamophobia’ (Picture: REX)

The Conservative Party has been accused of allowing members who express anti-Muslim hatred ‘back into the party through the back door’.

Labour MP Naz Shah, made the comments after revelations that the party had failed to suspend two councillors for making remarks that included comparing Islam to ‘Nazi Germany’ and another that said‘every 11-year-old girl’ should be ‘frightened of Muslims’.

According to BuzzFeed News, Nick Coultish, who was elected to East Riding council earlier this month, compared what he called ‘the tide of Islam’ in the UK to the Nazis’ bombardment of Britain.

In another tweet he wrote: ‘Quote of the day: “There are two forces killing our people and our citizens: Islam and political correctness.”


Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has called for an independent inquiry into Islamophobia in the Conservative Party (Picture: Rex Features)

John Moss, a Conservative councillor in Waltham Forest, suggested that ‘every 11-year-old girl’ should be scared of Islam, while responding to a tweet.



The Conservative party said that the two serving councillors who repeatedly made anti-Islam comments can keep their positions in the party while their remarks are investigated.

Naz Shah, shadow minister of state for women and equalities told Metro.co.uk: ‘The Conservative party failing to take swift action in suspending councillors who have spouted clear Islamophobic comments, just highlights how institutional the problem is within the party.

‘Despite the Conservative party denying an independent inquiry on the matter, failing to suspend councillors and even allowing those expressing such hate back into the party through the back door, there has been widespread neglect from the media to hold them to account for this issue.’

Nick Coultish, who was elected to East Riding council earlier this month (Picture: Twitter)

The chairman of the Conservative Muslim Forum, Mohammed Amin has also said he has ‘lost faith in the manner in which the Conservative Party handles complaints about Islamophobia’.

He told Metro.co.uk: ‘Some complaints have been made that then end up getting lost, disappearing into a black hole, or getting lost in the system, and not followed up.

Mr Amin says he also echoes the calls for the Equality and Human Rights Commission to launch an independent inquiry into the party over the manner in which cases are handled.

Labour MP Naz Shah called on the party to do more to tackle Islamophobia (Picture: Rex Features)

He added: ‘There has to be a lot more transparency in the manner in which complaints are handled.’

A spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Britain said: ‘The Conservative Party have a clear problem with Islamophobia being tolerated at all levels of the Party.

‘Once again, councillors have been uncovered spouting Islamophobia and we expect this to continue on a regular basis unless serious action is taken and there is a root and branch inquiry.’

The group renewed its call for the EHRC to launch an investigation into the party over its handling of cases of Islamophobia.

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