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Transmitted 24 June 2014. Posted 16 July 2014. Updated 29 May 2022.

On 24 June 2014 the Islam Channel's "Analysis" programme discussed whether the rise of the far-right in British politics was influencing, or might influence, the policy of the government and other mainstream political parties. I took part in the programme via Skype.

The presenter was Jonathan Steele and the panel comprised:

• Dr Gavin Bailey, a sociologist and post-doctoral research associate at the University of Leicester.
• Joseph Mulhall, a postgraduate research student at Royal Holloway, University of London.
• Me, identified as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Muslim Forum.

Some of the points I made were:

• I disagreed with the presenter's presumption that the Conservative Party had moved to the right.
• I pointed out that David Cameron's speech on 5 February 2011 at the Munich Security Conference is widely misquoted as an attack on multiculturalism. I explain this in my piece "The difference between 'multiculturalism' and 'state multiculturalism'.
• I reminded people that many of the complaints from parents regarding the alleged Islamisation of schools in Birmingham (known as "Trojan Horse") had come from Muslim parents.
• Sadly parts of the media, although not quality newspapers such as the "Financial Times" use scare stories about Muslim extremists as a way of increasing newspaper sales.
• I summarised the British values which the Department for Education now makes a condition of its funding agreements.

You can watch the entire 21 minute discussion below. [Unfortunately, since this page was created, the video has changed status and can no longer be watched. I have left the page up in case it becomes available again in future.]