Reform UK Councillor Faces Backlash Over "Deeply Islamophobic" Comments at Counter-Terrorism Training

By: Rakhee Patel

A Leicestershire County Council cabinet member has sparked outrage after suggesting that Muslim prayer in primary schools could lead to radicalisation and increased crime. Councillor Carl Abbott, Reform UK's cabinet member for adult social care, made the controversial remarks during a counter-terrorism training session on 5 January attended by Leicestershire councillors and officers.

Leicester Reform UK Councillor Faces Backlash

What Was Said

In a recorded video obtained by the local democracy reporting service (LDRS), Abbott expressed concern about "seeing children in primary schools being taught to pray the Muslim way". He continued: "When I went to school, we went into assembly, we sang hymns and were taught the Christian way".

Abbott then asked: "does it not start the radicalisation of these children? Will we see a further increase in crimes, etc, as these children grow up?". He claimed he was stating a concern "from his residents" and said he "personally did not agree with it".

Immediate Pushback

Charnwood Borough Council Labour leader Jewel Miah, who attended the same meeting, immediately challenged Abbott's assertions. "I'm 51 years old and remember praying in high school, and here I am," Miah said, adding that many of his friends did the same without any negative consequences.

"I think yes, if people are going to go bad, they go bad, but you can't tar a whole religion based on your prejudices," Miah stated. When Abbott insisted he was not being prejudiced but merely raising residents' concerns, Miah labelled the comments "shocking".

Cross-Party Condemnation

Speaking to the LDRS after the meeting, Miah described Abbott's remarks as "unacceptable" and said they represented the type of discourse that has no place in local government. "What we should be talking about is how we should be making the lives of our constituents better, not peddling comments made from higher up of the Reform party," he said.

Miah emphasised that Leicester and Leicestershire's diversity is not an issue, adding: "These issues he talks about are simply not true. There is no evidence, and we should be talking about the biggest thing that affects them. That's the cost of living and how we can improve that".

Conservative opposition leader Deborah Taylor was equally critical, stating: "It is inappropriate to suggest that teaching children to pray in accordance with Muslim practice fosters extremism". She added that Muslims are "an integral and respected part of our communities" and that linking Muslim prayer to extremism is "divisive, deeply concerning, and entirely incompatible with the standards expected of public office".

Green party councillor Naomi Bottomley described Abbott's remarks as "deeply Islamophobic and dangerous". "It is frankly absurd to suggest that children learning about different religions is something to fear; education builds understanding, not extremism," she said.

Bottomley raised particular concerns given Abbott's role overseeing adult social care: "Coming from a councillor responsible for adult social care, these remarks raise serious concerns about whether Muslim residents can expect fair and respectful treatment". She concluded: "There is no place in public life for rhetoric that stigmatises entire communities or treats diversity as a threat".

Reform UK Defends Comments

A Reform spokesperson defended Abbott's position, stating: "Councillor Abbott is absolutely correct: Britain is and remains a Christian country". The spokesperson claimed Abbott "speaks on behalf of millions who are rightly alarmed by the rapid, unchecked transformation of our culture and values driven by successive Tory and Labour governments' obsessions with mass immigration".

Investigation Into Video Leak

The chief executive of Leicestershire County Council, Jane Moore, confirmed that the council is investigating how the video was released, describing the leak as something they take "extremely seriously" because the meeting was "private". "Sharing footage from a private meeting is something we take extremely seriously, and we would always investigate if this happens," she stated [web:source].

Abbott has been contacted by the LDRS for comment.

My Take

As a third-generation British woman of Indian heritage who has raised two children in this country, I find Abbott's comments not just offensive but fundamentally dangerous. The suggestion that children learning about different faiths—something that happens in schools across Britain every day—could somehow lead to radicalisation reveals a profound misunderstanding of both education and faith.

I attended school in this country. My children attend school in this country. Learning about Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and other faiths didn't radicalise anyone—it taught us respect, understanding, and the ability to live alongside people different from ourselves. That's called living in a diverse democracy.

What's particularly troubling is that these remarks come from someone responsible for adult social care, a role that requires serving all residents regardless of their faith. How can Muslim families in Leicestershire trust that they'll receive fair treatment from someone who views their religious practices as a potential gateway to criminality?

Leicester and Leicestershire have long been models of successful multiculturalism. We've built something remarkable here: communities where people of different backgrounds, faiths, and cultures live, work, and thrive together. Comments like Abbott's don't reflect legitimate concerns—they stoke division and fear where none need exist.

If councillors truly want to serve their constituents, they should focus on the real issues affecting families: the cost of living, access to healthcare, proper funding for schools, and ensuring our children have opportunities to succeed. Scapegoating Muslim children learning to pray isn't just morally wrong—it's a distraction from the work local government should actually be doing.