Islamophobia definition row: Rayner backs down amid backlash

The controversy erupted after Rayner’s office launched a consultation to craft an official government definition of Islamophobia, appointing a 16-member working group known as the “Islamophobia Council” to tackle anti-Muslim hatred. The proposed working definition, based on a 2018 parliamentary report, described Islamophobia as “a type of racism targeting expressions of Muslimness.”