Muslims must organise, bombard Andy Burnham with letters and challenge far-right, says Labour MP

British Muslims must establish a grassroots campaign to challenge "far-right" narratives, a Labour MP has said.

Rosena Allin-Khan, who is herself Muslim, told a Labour Conference fringe meeting hosted by Islamic Relief UK that the campaign should include bombarding Andy Burnham and other MPs with letters about Islamophobia.

The Tooting MP also encouraged British Muslims to "vote with their feet" amid Labour fears about a large chunk of the electorate switching to the Green Party.

She said: "I think we [British Muslims] are more powerful than we realise."

Ms Allin-Khan added: "It isn't just about politicians and heads of charity organisations having high-level conversations.

"It's about every single person in this room writing to their MP, writing to the Prime Minister, saying that what you have heard is disturbing, that you will not accept it, that you do not accept it.

"You're going to vote with your feet, you're going to organise, you're going to petition.

"That is how it gets. We will only get, I believe, a real challenge to the far-right narrative and to the structural inequalities that exist in our society if we organise together from the grassroots up."

Ms Allin-Khan, who also works as an A&E doctor, also used the fringe event to open up about her experience of Islamophobia.

She explained that she was told to drop part of her surname after marrying her Welsh husband, Tudor.

The 48-year-old argued that it was important to stand up to prejudice rather than conform under pressure.

However, the push for an Islamophobia definition has fuelled fears of stifling free speech.

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Lord Walney, who served as the nation's independent adviser on extremism, warned: "You’ve got to work that bit harder to make the distinction and to carve out freedom of speech and make sure that you don’t introduce a blasphemy law by the back door."

Following a backlash, Labour instead opted to adopt a new non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility.

The definition describes anti-Muslim hostility as intentionally engaging in, assisting or encouraging criminal acts directed at Muslims because of their religion.

Mr Burnham had been pushing for more action to tackle Islamophobia before becoming Prime Minister.

He accused the Tories of having a "double standard" on Islamophobia compared to antisemitism.

However, the Prime Minister is now being urged to appoint an anti-Muslim hostility tsar.

Labour MP Afzal Khan told Mr Burnham earlier this month: “The Government needs to get on with it.”

Mr Burnham will be hoping to win back Muslim voters, many of whom deserted Labour under Sir Keir Starmer's leadership.

The Greens won the Gorton & Denton by-election in February after being accused of running a "sectarian" campaign urging voters to punish Labour over Gaza.

Around 30 per cent of residents identify as Muslim, giving the seat the 23rd largest Muslim population in the country.

A Policy Exchange report earlier this year found Muslim support for Labour had collapsed from around 80 per cent under Jeremy Corbyn to just 33 per cent.

Labour also lost four seats to pro-Gaza independents at the 2024 general election.