.... What’s at stake here is the desire of Warsi and others to be the official voice of all Britain’s Muslims, even though there is no evidence that Muslims as a whole want that. They’re right that anti-Muslim hate crimes are rising but that’s a matter for the police. They’re right that the Tories have some pretty unsavoury characters but that’s something the party has to sort out for itself.
In their narrow focus on issues such as “Islamophobia” and foreign policy, they ignore the reality that many Muslims are more interested in the same issues as the wider population: jobs, education and the NHS.
The Tories should ignore the calls for an official investigation into the party’s problem with Muslims. That’s not to say the Conservatives don’t have a problem with Muslim voters, and ethnic minorities generally. They do. But it is for the voters to punish them if they come up short. That’s how democracy works. [The Times (£)] Read more
