The key facts
- Burnham pledged to soon appoint an adviser on Muslim affairs — a promise originally made by Keir Starmer in March
- According to Tell Mama, London saw a record 1,909 incidents last year, with 1,031 already in the first half of 2026
- British Muslim Trust: an attack or racist incident at a mosque occurs every five days
A promise first made in March
The UK government will soon appoint an adviser on Muslim affairs to avoid 'another decade of discord', Prime Minister Andy Burnham said at a meeting with leaders of the British Muslim community at his Downing Street residence, reports The National. It was his first such meeting since taking office in the summer; Communities Secretary Angela Rayner also took part. Burnham acknowledged that Muslim communities had endured 'some of the worst manifestations of discord', including hostility online.
Why the appointment was delayed
The post of 'special envoy' for Muslim affairs was first promised by former prime minister Keir Starmer in March, when the government presented a definition of anti-Muslim hostility and other measures to protect the community. The envoy's role was described as advancing nationwide efforts to combat hostility towards Muslims and those perceived to be Muslims, through work with communities, schools and other institutions. Burnham had been under pressure since the summer: in September, veteran Labour MP Afzal Khan said there was 'a clear need to appoint a tsar on anti-Muslim hostility' and urged the government 'not to delay'. The prime minister's new statement is therefore a reaffirmation of a previously made commitment, not a new initiative.
The scale of the problem according to monitoring organisations
Aqilah Ahmed, head of the British Muslim Trust (BMT) — a monitoring body operating with government support — who took part in the meeting, called the creation of the post 'a positive initiative' in the face of 'enormous challenges'. According to her, anti-Muslim crime is rising, an attack or racist incident at a mosque occurs every five days, and one in six residents of the country holds hostile views towards British Muslims. According to the charity Tell Mama, over the past five years the number of anti-Muslim incidents in London has grown sixfold; last year set a record with 1,909 registered incidents, and by the end of June 2026 there had already been 1,031, so the year's total is expected to be even higher. The BMT also notes a shift in the nature of attacks: they are becoming more severe, while less serious forms of harassment declined over the past year.
The prime minister's statements and other plans
Burnham said he wants young British Muslims to feel that 'this is their country, that the country is behind them, works for them and opens up opportunities'. He described the opposition parties' positions towards Muslims as 'completely unacceptable', adding that 'some of the language they use about the community is unacceptable'. In addition, the government will continue the project initiated by Starmer for a memorial to the hundreds of thousands of Muslim soldiers who died serving in the British Indian Army during the First and Second World Wars; its cost is expected to be almost £1 million (about $1.33 million).
