MEND Statement: Labour reinstating Trevor Phillips panders to Islamophobia

Following the reinstatement of Trevor Phillips to the Labour Party having been suspended for Islamophobia, MEND has written to the General Secretary of the Labour Party and Sir Keir Starmer to express our grave concern that he has been reinstated without any apology or explanation, and without the matter being heard by the National Executive Committee – a decision that is premature and raises questions about the process for handling Islamophobia within the party.

Moreover, the narrowly escaped by-election defeat in Batley and Spen should be seen as a reflection of Muslim voters’ diminishing confidence in the Labour Party’s commitment to the issues that impact them and to tackling Islamophobia in particular. Therefore, this reinstatement can only serve to confirm that Labour is no longer committed to tackling the discrimination that Muslims face.

As such, MEND has called on the General Secretary of the Labour Party and Sir Keir Starmer to:

• Outline the process that led to Trevor Phillips’ reinstatement.
• Overturn his reinstatement in order for a full investigation to be completed.