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The Labour government is unable to effectively combat racism and Islamophobia, claimed a member of the Labour government’s national committee in the wake of widespread racial unrest.

In an exclusive interview with The Independent, Mish Rahman, a member of the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee, criticised Sir Keir Starmer for failing to classify the attacks as “terrorism”. He claimed the reluctance to label the violence an act of terror showed a worrying double standard, adding: “For me that means that if it is committed by a Muslim, it is terrorism. Language matters.”

This view was shared by former head of the UK’s counter-terrorism agency, Neil Basu, who warned that the worst right-wing extremist violence seen across the country during the unrest should have been treated as terrorism at the very beginning of the unrest.

Mr Rahman’s comments come in the wake of nationwide violence sparked by a tragic incident in Southport in which three girls were killed in a knife attack during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

This sparked a wave of right-wing extremist violence. The mob stormed several hotels housing asylum seekers, as well as law firms and immigration law centers, after false rumors and misinformation supported the claim that the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker.

One of the many alarming incidents occurred at the Southport Islamic Centre, where rioters besieged the mosque, setting fire to cars and throwing stones at the building, leaving Muslims fearing for their lives.

The NEC member expressed his dismay at the events and accused the party leadership of not speaking out enough to denounce the widespread attacks on ethnic minorities.

“The Conservatives are guilty of deliberately stirring up division and hatred,” he said. “The Labour Party has not, in my view, shown that it has solutions or understanding for dealing with racism.”

Earlier this year, Mr Rahman branded the party “institutionally Islamophobic and racist” after the defeat of former Labour candidate Faiza Shaheen, after accusing the current prime minister of “gaslighting” over his response to the Gaza crisis.

While Mr Rahman welcomed Sir Keir’s recent efforts to protect ethnic minorities after hundreds of rioters were arrested and charged for their violence, he argued that the discussion and language around migration urgently needed to change.

“Before the election, Jonathan Ashworth and Keir Starmer boasted about sending Bangladeshis back to Bangladesh because it was a safe country. That has not gone down well given what has happened in Bangladesh since then,” he added. “We cannot separate language from the actions that follow. These are reactionary responses to problems that require sensible language and solutions.”

He called for a more compassionate approach to discussions on migration, saying: “The right solution to this problem is to talk about migration with compassion for minorities, without demonising them. We must show the real reasons for immigration and not promote or support the theory that immigrants are responsible for the ills of society.”

“Every person of colour is under threat,” he said. “Even Rishi Sunak could not escape the racism of the reform activists. He was eventually called the P-word. Today we face the same threat that our parents faced when they came here in the 70s and 80s.”

The Independent has contacted the Labour Party for comment.

Following the far-right violence, the Prime Minister told anyone who “feels attacked because of the colour of their skin or their beliefs” that “the violent mob does not represent this country”.

In his speech to the public on August 5, he added: “The people of this country have a right to security and yet we are seeing attacks on Muslim communities and on mosques.”

During a visit to Solihull Mosque on 8 August alongside Justice Minister Shabana Mahmoud, the Prime Minister promised that those involved in the unrest would “face the full force of the law”. Since then, over 1,000 people have been arrested and more than 670 have been charged.