By rooting out the Islamophobia in their party, the Tories can lead by example

At a time when national identity and immigration have become high-profile issues because of Brexit, it is down to the main parties to take action against prejudice and discrimination

The response by the Conservative Party to allegations of Islamophobia among its grassroots members, and Labour’s more tortured approach to disciplining its antisemites, is an uncomfortable one for Jeremy Corbyn. Or at least it ought to be. By their nature, Islamophobia and antisemitism are not precise “mirror images” – their incidence and nature have distinct characters, and both bacilli might be detected, in varying degrees, across a number of political parties.

However, the fact that the Conservatives have suspended some 14 members reported to them by The Independent for Islamophobic comments is to be welcomed. What happens next is also important – a zero tolerance approach should mean just that – but it betokens that the issue is being taken seriously by the Conservatives. Theresa May’s party has come a long away since the time when official party policy favoured “voluntary repatriation” and harboured Enoch Powell, somewhat uncomfortable for all concerned, among its ranks.

Under David Cameron in particular a determined no-nonsense approach was taken to boost black, Asian and minority ethnic (Bame) representation at every level in the party, and talented Bame candidates were found seats in extremely safe Conservative constituencies. Nowadays there seems little difference in the electoral performance, as compared with that of their white counterparts in comparable seats. We have a home secretary of Pakistani heritage, for example, and effective minsters from every background across Whitehall, just as Labour does in its shadow government. The progress that has been made in race relations is something to proud of but nothing to be complacent about – as the way that black victims of knife crime, as against white victims, have been treated in the media underlines.

Indeed, as Baroness Warsi makes clear once again, there is little doubt that there are elements of Trumpesque Islamophobia to be found around every level of the Conservative Party; it is simply not possible to transform a political grouping built on a certain historical inheritance – specifically pride in empire and colonialism – in such a comparatively short time. Generations have to move on, and the Conservative Party is still, on the whole, an aged group with aged ideas.

The Tories may also be suffering some ill-effects from attempting to digest the refugees from the virtually collapsed Ukip, although this is speculation. That some of the Islamophobia resides on a website devoted to Jacob Rees-Mogg is suggestive of an overlap with Euroscepticism.

The “purple wave” that has turned some Tory branches into “blukip” ones, with targeted deselections of MPs to match, may also have brought with it a cargo of some old-fashioned and unacceptable strands of opinion. Despite the alarms rung by defecting MPs Sarah Wollaston, Anna Soubry and Heidi Allen about this entryism, the Conservatives have been remarkably easygoing about the takeover of their grassroots by hardliners employing Trotskyist tactics.

This proves that Theresa May does have a problem with racism in her party, even though it is milder than once it was, and it is – maybe – less insidious than Labour’s problems with antisemitism.

Yet, this is not a game of relativism – “whataboutery” as it’s known. Even if the Conservative Party was proven to be institutionally racist and overwhelmed by Islamophobes, that would be no alibi for Labour. Dame Margaret Hodge has complained once again about the party leadership’s confusion about what to do about their problem, which at least seems to be being acknowledged, and who should do it. Tom Watson, deputy leader, wants a role; Jennie Formby, general secretary, publicly slaps him down. Lord Falconer is supposed to be taking charge, but his Lord himself says he is not necessarily signed up. Are figures in the leader’s office “interfering” in proceedings? Where is the transparency? More broadly, does Jeremy Corbyn accept that Israel has a right to exist, and that its creation was not a racist endeavour? And will he tell his members as much, in line with the international definition of antisemitism that his party has now adopted?

Both parties have resisted attempts by the Muslim Council of Britain and others to secure an independent review of what is going on, and what they are doing about it. At a time when, because of Brexit, national identity and immigration have become high-profile issues once again, the main parties’ leaderships need, now more than ever, to show an example to the nation.