'Islamophobia': Watchdog urged to investigate Tories

The UK's human rights watchdog is under increasing pressure to investigate Islamophobia in the Conservative Party after being handed a fresh dossier detailing allegations against more than 300 people. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) added claims about MPs, party members, councillors and advisers to Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the document submitted on Thursday. The dossier sent to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and seen by the PA news agency also reiterates allegations of Islamophobia against the Prime Minister. MCB secretary general Harun Khan said the Tories have a "systemic and widespread" Islamophobia crisis and accused the party of "denial, dismissal and deceit". He criticised the EHRC for having "failed to give any response" to its first formal call for the watchdog to investigate in May and urged it to take "swift action". Tory peer Baroness Warsi, who was a chairwoman of the party, said Islamophobia "runs deep and wide" in the Conservatives and accused leaders of allowing it to "fester". But a Conservative spokeswoman insisted the party has a "robust approach to discrimination of any kind" and said it "consistently takes decisive action" to deal with incidents of hatred. They have committed to an inquiry into all forms of discrimination within the party but have resisted calls to set up an independent inquiry into Islamophobia specifically. Julia talks to The Muslim Council of Britain's Miqdaad Versi on the issue.