THIS year’s events to mark UN Anti-Racism Day take place against the backdrop of a frightening rise in racism as illustrated by this week’s appalling treatment of Diane Abbott MP.

In recent weeks we’ve also seen a wave of Islamophobia, increasing anti-Muslim and anti-semitic hate crimes, with the government stoking up fears of extremism and division to pander to racist voters.

This follows a toxic “stop the boats” campaign against asylum-seekers that has emboldened a fascist street movement over the last year.
 
Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove MP’s recent announcement on extremism smacks of hypocrisy and double standards.

The people who fall foul of the government’s new definition of extremism that requires urgent attention are certain MPs, members and funders of the Conservative Party. The government immediately needs to end public-sector contracts with Frank Hester following his hateful comments regarding Abbott.
 
These comments incited violence, racial hatred and contracts with such people contravene the 2010 Equality Act and the Public Sector Equality Duty. Thus far it has failed to take action against Hester, as well as Suella Braverman, Liz Truss and others after their recent inflammatory Islamophobic statements that have given succour to the racist far right and fascists. This government cannot lecture anyone on extremism.
 
The revelation of Hester’s hateful racist comments, the way they were reported, the Conservative Party’s failure to take action against Hester, Labour’s failure to restore the whip to Abbott but using the issue to score points and raise funds, and Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s failure to call Abbott to speak while forcing her to listen to others debate her experience during PMQs — starkly illustrate root and branch racism in politics.

They highlight the institutional, systemic and structural racism that accompanies racist incidents, which led to the Black Lives Matter movement. This is what links Diane Abbott’s experience to the movement against racism.
 
No MP has done more to fight racism than Diane Abbott and she is Britain’s first black woman MP. It’s outrageous that Abbott has been forced to wait almost a year without hearing anything from the Labour Party when an MP has had the whip restored after actually racially abusing someone. If it’s to have any credibility in fighting racism the Labour Party must restore the whip to Abbott.
 
Gove’s extremism announcement fell short of what was initially threatened after a range of people warned the government not to politicise extremism and raised the importance of safeguarding civil liberties and the right to free speech.

However the intervention of so-called “Islamism” and the targeting of groups such as the Muslim Association of Britain and Muslim Engagement and Development risks leading to a rise in Islamophobia. These organisations constructively work with diverse communities in campaigning against Islamophobia and all forms of racism.
 
The distinction between Islam and Islamism is not convincing. In reality “Islamism” and “Islamist” are often slurs used to describe any politically active Muslim, wrongly implying a link with terrorism, with catastrophic consequences such as a rise in Islamophobic hate crimes.
 
After implementing policies that make people worse off — and failing on the Covid public health crisis that is exposed in the ongoing inquiry — the Tories are stirring up racism before a general election.

We have in power a deeply unpopular government desperately appeasing racist voters and clamping down on the right to protest, in an attempt to cling onto power. However, this strategy is more likely to lead to votes for Reform UK. This toxic climate is leading to hatred on the streets, a rise in racist attacks, Islamophobia, anti-semitic hate crimes, and support for far-right populist parties and fascist groups.
 
All racism must be rooted out of all political parties and all sections of society. That requires leadership, unity and no concessions to hatred.

Now more than ever we must stand up to and unite against the scourge of racism, Islamophobia, anti-semitism, hatred, division and attempts to curtail our freedoms. That’s the message of this weekend’s demonstrations marking UN Anti-Racism Day in London, Glasgow and Cardiff.

Sabby Dhalu is the co-convener for Stand up to Racism.