Overview

• The government’s Anti-Muslim Hate/Islamophobia Definition Working Group, chaired by Dominic Grieve, is formulating an official definition without public consultation.
• Policy Exchange has called for the working group’s immediate suspension until the national inquiry into grooming gangs concludes in 2028.
• Baroness Casey’s review found that councils, police forces and the Home Office concealed evidence on Asian grooming gangs to avoid appearing racist.
• Figures such as Sir John Jenkins and Claire Coutinho argue the proposed definition risks granting Islam special status and accelerating “cancel culture.”
• A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesman said any definition must uphold the right to freedom of speech and expression.