Conservatives accuse Labour of ‘unacceptable disregard for transparency and accountability’Charles HymasHome Affairs EditorShow biography
Published 04 September 2026 4:25pm BST
Angela Rayner’s department has been accused of possibly breaking the ministerial code by destroying evidence used to draw up a new definition of Islamophobia.
Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, has written to Will Garton, the top civil servant at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), claiming that the deletion also breached the Government’s data policy.
“Labour has shown an unacceptable disregard for transparency and accountability by deleting the evidence behind a definition which they want the entire public and private sector to adopt,” Mr Timothy said.
It comes after a freedom of information request by Mr Timothy revealed that the department had deleted all submissions to its working group which drew up a draft of the definition.
He said he was seeking to establish how far any extremist organisations might have influenced the drafting of the new non-statutory definition, which would be used by public, private and charity bodies to identify and take action against anti-Muslim hostility.
Mr Timothy said the evidence received by the working group was key to drafting the definition as the MHCLG stated that its evidence-gathering exercise informed their advice to ministers and formed “the basis of the definition that the Government is now adopting”.
He said the ministry’s own records policy stated that it was committed to managing information in a way that enabled “transparency and accountability”.
‘Clearly has historical value’
It also stated that records of “short-term administrative value” should be kept for at least two years, while records of “potential historical value” should be kept for at least 20 years.
“This is a definition the Government is encouraging all public and private sector organisations to adopt, meaning it could have a role in public sector decision-making for years to come. It clearly has historical value, and so it is vital to retain the evidence on which it was based,” said Mr Timothy.
“By deleting all the evidence the working group received and refusing to provide information about which organisations submitted evidence, you have acted with neither transparently nor accountability.”
The ministerial code states that “holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for doing so”.
In his letter to Mr Garton, Mr Timothy said: “Please explain how the deletion is in line with MHCLG policy and the ministerial code, or if it is not, then why.”
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The secrecy surrounding Labour’s anti-Muslim hatred definition is chilling
After the consultation, Labour moved to scrap the term “Islamophobia” in favour of “anti-Muslim hostility” in an effort to head off claims that it was creating a blasphemy law by the back door.
Free-speech campaigners have argued that protections for “Islamophobia” would prevent legitimate criticism of the religion.
Public, private and charity bodies are to be encouraged by the Government to adopt a new non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility as part of Labour’s strategy for social cohesion.
The strategy states that the definition will serve as a “tool” for the Government and organisations to “better understand, measure, prevent and address anti-Muslim hostility”.
It has, however, drawn warnings from Tories and campaigners that it could have a “chilling effect” on freedom of expression.
They have warned that it could lead to a system as controversial as non-crime hate incidents, which have been criticised for drawing police into investigating online spats.
A spokesman for the ministry said: “We take the handling of personal and sensitive information very seriously.
“As such, the department has clear rules governing the safeguarding, use and retention of personal data.”
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Categories: Europe, Islamophobia, Muslims, UK