A Conservative councillor has called for Anglophobia to be recognised alongside Islamaphobia and other forms of racism, according to reports in The National.
Claire Feaver, the councillor for Forres in Moray, raised the issue during a meeting on Tuesday in which all members agreed to adopt a definition of Islamophobia, set out by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims at Westminster and backed by all parties at Holyrood.
Raising the issue of anti-English behaviour, she said: “I think we also need to recognise along with Islamophobia, Anglophobia.
“As a minority group in Moray, I get more emails and telephone calls from people who’ve suffered from Anglophobia and I’d like to flag that up.
“Anglophobia is there all the time, numerous constituents over the last five years have come to me asking what we’re going to do about this.”
Not appropriate
She asked if anything could be included to acknowledge the issue.
However, Leadbetter felt it would not be appropriate to change the wording as a lot of work had gone into agreeing a clear, well-researched definition of Islamophobia.
He said: “We would all agree any form of discrimination is completely unacceptable. It’s a particularly insidious form of abuse.
“But we are at risk if we randomly add bits to this motion because there are many areas it could cover.
“For example, we could add gypsy traveller discrimination, which is significant and widespread.
“I’m not averse to having [Anglophobia] incorporated into the council’s policies, I just think it needs to be done correctly.
“If there is a definition to be incorporated then we need to know what that definition is. I don’t want to make that up on the hoof.”
“Utterly condemned”
Tory councillor for Keith and Cullen Donald Gatt welcomed the strengthening of the council’s equalities policies.
He said: “Any victimisation of people because of their race or their religion or their colour is to be condemned utterly.
“Sadly I do have to report about two years ago I myself was subject to it.
“I was told to go back to England and I was born in Perth, so I’m as Scottish as anybody else.
“I would welcome any other moves to eradicate this hatred we have in society whether it’s Islamophobia, Anglophobia or antisemitism.”
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