This was my second visit to a Conservative Party conference and I felt like an explorer in a faraway land, discovering a new species. It was a very different crowd to the Labour gathering at Liverpool last week.

A column decrying “Islamic England” printed in a US newspaper has been branded “shameful” by campaigners, with the author accused of “spreading misconceptions” by Tower Hamlets council.

A petition demanding an independent inquiry into islamophobia in political parties has gained more than 30,000 signatures in just two days.

It comes in the wake of outrage at Boris Johnson for comparing Muslim women who wear the burka to “letter boxes” and “bank robbers”.

Local Muslim leaders previously raised fears of a surge in Islamophobic attacks following Westminster incident

The debate rages on after Boris Johnson drew ire for comparing Muslim women in burqas to “letter boxes” and “bank robbers”.

Tell Mama says rise in reported Islamophobic incidents targeting women wearing Islamic veils ‘directly linked’ to comments

The UK’s largest Muslim organisation is calling on Theresa May to ensure the inquiry into Boris Johnson’s burka comments is not a “whitewash”.

Former minister asked to say sorry for comparing veiled Muslims to bank robbers. Boris Johnson has been told by Conservative party chiefs to apologise for his claim that Muslim women in burqas resemble letter boxes and bank robbers.

Tory chairman Brandon Lewis has called on Boris Johnson to apologise for comments he made comparing women who wear the burqa to’letterboxes’ and ‘bank robbers’.

Conservative chairman Brendon Lewis has called on Boris Johnson to apologise after he said Muslim women wearing full-face veils looked “like letter boxes”.