London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

Muslim candidate says her cousin is thinking of leaving UK after Boris victory

A former Labour candidate says that after Boris Johnson’s election win, one of her own relatives is among people who are considering leaving the UK over fears at the ‘normalisation of racism’.
Faiza Shaheen was a parliamentary candidate in the constituency of Chingford and Woodford Green, where she was hoping to unseat the former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan-Smith.

After the election loss, Ms Shaheen says that she has had ‘five different families discuss their UK exit plan with me in case racism gets worse’.

She added that it was ‘frightening that this is where we are’.

Ms Shaheed told Metro.co.uk: ‘I’ve been in touch with my cousin, who has spoken about putting some money aside in case it gets really bad, it’s been the dominant conversation.’

Boris Johnson has been accused of Islamophobia over comments he made in the Telegraph last year for comparing Muslim women to ‘letterboxes and bank robbers’.

The prime minister says his words were taken out of context and he was defending the right of Muslim women to wear what they like.

He has also been criticised over his handling of Islamophobic incidents in the party, in which members who shared far-right posts and referred to Muslims as scum, were not immediately suspended, with others allowed back into the party.

Although Mr Johnson has apologised for Islamophobia in the party, calling it ‘intolerable’ and pledging to hold an independent inquiry into all forms of prejudice, Ms Shaheen says many fear for their safety.

She said that it was not just Muslims but also people from other ethnic minority backgrounds who are also considering leaving the UK.

Ms Shaheen added that one of her Mauritian friends was also concerned about the future of her children, given the now ‘toxic atmosphere’.

The former Labour candidate, who is a Muslim herself, said she thought the prime minister is ‘Islamophobic’ but that there was a perceived hierarchy when it came to racism and that ‘racism against black and Muslim people, was further down that list’.

It comes after Metro.co.uk revealed that a number of British Muslims said they were planning to leave the country over fears regarding Islamophobia.

She added: ‘What I really struggled with on the doorstep, was when people said they can’t vote for Labour because of anti-Semitism, and cases have been badly handed, but when people said “I’m voting for Iain Duncan Smith” and I said what about Islamophobia, it was perceived as not really a thing’.

Ms Shaheen also recalled an incident at her local polling station on election day in which she was called a ‘terrorist’ and had to ask for police to be called.

Asked if she thought Islamophobia had played a part in helping the government win votes, Ms Shaheen said ‘it probably did help him’, as there are ‘certain demographics’ who would’ve supported such a position.

She added: ‘There is no one on our side in government’.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
×