December 3, 2025 - 2:30pm
This afternoon at Prime Minister’s Questions, Keir Starmer appeared to confirm to Parliament that he would not reintroduce a blasphemy law by adopting a new Islamophobia definition.
Labour MP for Blackley and Middleton South Graham Stringer asked for assurances that Labour would not introduce a blasphemy law “either through statute, judicial overreach or by a non-statutory definition of Islamophobia”. Starmer replied: “Yes, I can give him that assurance and it’s important that I do.”
Stringer, a Blue Labour-aligned MP who has been an outspoken critic of the Government’s failure to connect with working-class voters, said that “this country can be proud of its history of religious tolerance and religious freedom.” He added that “the quid pro quo of that is the right to criticize religion.”
It comes after months of speculation about whether the Government would adopt the Anti-Muslim Hatred working group’s proposed definition of Islamophobia, which has not yet been released. In February, then-Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner — in her capacity as Communities Secretary — established a working group on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia definition.
In July, Conservative Party Chair Kevin Hollinrake criticized the group, saying that “this vague proposal risks stifling free speech by potentially banning criticism of religious practices, such as cousin marriage or face covering.” He went on: “It may also lead to non-crime hate incidents being recorded against individuals, creating a two-tier society with special protections for Muslims.” Hollinrake also accused the working group of being “initially skewed towards select activists and only broadened after legal pressure from the Free Speech Union”.
Early last month, 40 Labour and independent MPs called on Communities Secretary Steve Reed to take the “important step” of defining anti-Muslim hatred. Shockat Adam, the independent MP for Leicester South, today asked why the Government had abandoned the definition of Islamophobia it had adopted in Opposition. Adam said that “no religion, no theology, no philosophy is beyond critique or scrutiny and we must protect freedom of speech at all costs. But Islamophobia is real,” before citing examples of violent and fatal attacks on Muslims as a result of their faith. Starmer replied by condemning “hatred of all kinds, including anti-Muslim hatred”.
In August, Blue Labour founder Maurice Glasman told PoliticsHome that adopting an Islamophobia definition would stoke the perception of a “two-tier” justice system and lead to significant “political damage” for Labour. “People should be free to explore, criticize aspects of religion,” he said. “As far as I can see, in this Islamophobia definition, it could be illegal to criticize Islam.” He added: “I’m also very skeptical about the definition of antisemitism for very similar reasons. It makes criticism of Israel and of the Jewish religion [more difficult].”
This afternoon, Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho responded to Starmer’s assurance that the Government would not adopt a new definition of Islamophobia. “Today he said he wouldn’t introduce a blasphemy law through an Islamophobia definition,” she wrote on X.
“But we know his Government has been working on one for MONTHS,” she wrote. “And they are refusing to let the public see it – despite inviting left-wing activist groups to provide feedback.” She continued: “They must publish the definition BEFORE a decision is made so that we can all scrutinize the definition and the impact it will have on freedom of speech.”
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