The Conservatives have suspended up to 23 party members following allegations of Islamophobia.

The action was prompted by anti-racism group Hope Not Hate compiling a dossier on the social media messages of serving Tory councillors, ex-councillors, activists and a donor.

They found:

A former councillor claimed that "Moslems [sic] do not deserve 'Human Rights' as we understand them, partly because of their animal-like behaviour, and partly because they reject our Western value system". They added: "... it is now time to deploy the machine guns".

A former council candidate commented on the death of a Muslim shopkeeper: "1down, 1.6 million to go". In another post, they said: "Muslims go away back to pakistan or from where ever you came from u are NOT in a muslim country and are NOT wanted here".

A local councillor claimed there was a "dangerous Muslim agenda for world domination in the name of Allah"; as well as stating: "Wake up Britain or it will be too late we will ALL be Muslim!"

A former council candidate who stated it would not be a "bad thing" if Muslims left the UK.

Following the election of US President Donald Trump, a councillor posted: "Congratulations America!! The wall is coming up! Muslims not allowed in and Hispanic and illegal immigrants sent home!"

A former council candidate who said they were "disturbed by the fecund Islamic population".

A donor to a Conservative MP who called for "Lynch mobs in South Manchester" in the wake of the Manchester Arena bombing.

The Tories did not immediately confirm how many of the 23 people detailed in the dossier had been suspended, or how many were serving councillors.

However, sources said that not all of the names provided were party members.


Those who have been suspended could be sanctioned by Tory officials, which could include being told to undertake training or expulsion from the party.

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A Conservative Party spokesperson said: "All those found to be party members have been suspended immediately, pending investigation.

"The swift action we take on not just anti-Muslim discrimination, but discrimination of any kind is testament to the seriousness with which we take such issues."

Hope Not Hate claimed the Tories have a "problem with anti-Muslim prejudice".

"They are not acting as swiftly, or as forcefully, as they need to, and their approach lacks the transparency required to give people trust that they are taking the issue seriously enough," said the group's campaign director Matthew McGregor.

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The Muslim Council of Britain also accused the Tories of having an "institutional problem of Islamophobia".

A spokesman said: "This latest evidence only adds to the wealth of examples we have seen in recent months, most of which have been met with indifference and inaction.

"Unlike those cases, it is welcome that action has been taken in these cases, but the suspensions must be properly followed through with appropriate sanctions where necessary, and transparency over who is readmitted into the party and why.

"Given the history of the party, we cannot be hopeful. For too long, the Conservative Party has taken an inconsistent and inadequate approach towards tackling Islamophobia."

The Conservatives are holding an independent review into all forms of discrimination and prejudice following a pledge by all candidates in last year's leadership contest to investigate allegations of Islamophobia.

It followed a number of instances of party members being suspended.

Tory MP and former government minister Nus Ghani, the first Muslim woman to speak at the House of Commons despatch box, revealed on Sunday she had recently urged Downing Street to speed up the work of the inquiry.

"I've got full confidence the prime minister and the new chairman will continue to undertake this inquiry," she told Sky News.

"I had a meeting with Number 10 just a few weeks ago to say 'look, we need to crack on with this and get it done'."