MEND STATEMENT: ANGELA RAYNER’S RESIGNATION MARKS THE END OF A DISAPPOINTING TENURE

Angela Rayner’s resignation as Deputy Prime Minister and Communities Secretary marks the end of a disappointing tenure.

While MEND recognises Ms Rayner’s advocacy around issues of poverty, her record includes serious shortcomings in relation specifically to Muslim communities.

Following the far-right riots of July 2024, which saw violent attacks on Muslims and mosques, Ms Rayner’s response was inadequate. While condemning disorder and misinformation, she failed to explicitly acknowledge the far-right Islamophobic nature of the violence or commit to the urgent measures needed to safeguard Muslim communities.

Equally concerning was her rejection of the APPG definition of Islamophobia once in government, even though Labour endorsed it while in opposition. Despite support from councils, trade unions, Muslim communities and anti-racism organisations, Ms Rayner and the Labour government declined to adopt the definition as government policy, ambiguously citing the need for “further consideration.” Instead, Ms Rayner chose to launch a convoluted consultation process into whether the government should use the term anti-Muslim hatred or Islamophobia. This decision has left a critical gap in policies aimed at protecting Muslims at a time of rising Islamophobia.

We hope Ms Rayner’s replacement commits to engaging proactively with Muslim communities and civil society organisations to rebuild trust, while treating the rising far-right threat to Muslims and minority groups with the seriousness it deserves.