A former Pendle MEP said he has quit the Conservative Party and binned his membership card, saying the party has failed to tackle racism within its own ranks.

Sajjad Karim said on social media on Tuesday the reason for his departure was  due to the Conservative Party’s issues relating to tackling Islamophobia.

In a post, citing a Guardian podcast headlined ‘The Conservative party’s problem with Islamophobia’, he said: “Tonight, I spoke to my local association and explained why I can no longer remain a member of this Conservatives Party.”

It follows recent controversies over comments made by MP Lee Anderson, who lost the Conservative whip after failing to apologise for claiming ‘Islamists’ had ‘got control’ of Sadiq Khan and London.

His comments came after former home secretary Suella Braverman claimed ‘the Islamists, the extremists and the antisemites are in charge now’.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Anderson's comments were 'wrong' but no action was taken against Braverman.

The row engulfed the Conservative Party, after senior government ministers did their best not to use the word ‘Islamophobic’ to condemn the comments.

In the podcast, Mr Karim claimed since 2016 there has been a ‘regression in attitudes’ within the Conservative Party.

He said he had paid his membership fee but said: “My membership card has been cut in two and is in the bin the kitchen and is ready to be taken away.”

When asked if he experienced Islamophobia within his own party, he said: “Yes, I have one instance which took place some years ago now.

“It was in the context of the selection process.

“I don’t think it would have taken place if it was not for the competitive nature of the process.

“But it did involve two very senior parliamentarians discussing my religion and how that could be used negatively.”

He said the comments were not said ‘to him’ but ‘about him’ with assertions made about financial backers, none of which he said was true, but they would be from ‘Arab states’.

He adds: “Secondly, it was the type of membership who would vote for me. 

“It was put across that if the wider membership could be made to believe that I was being funded by sources outside the United Kingdom from Arab countries that could be something that would put them off voting for me.

“And my appeal is in way is restricted solely to my background and my religious persuasion.”

He said it was a lot of ‘pigeon holing activity’.

He added he believes it reached a stage that government of the day ‘had a particular problem staring them in the face and could not call it out for what it is’.

A former member of the Liberal Democrats, Mr Karim defected to the Conservatives in 2007.

He served as a member of the European Parliament for three terms from 2004 until 2019 and was the first British Muslim MEP. Before then he served as a councillor in Pendle.

A solicitor, Mr Karim was born in Blackburn but grew up in Brierfield.

The Conservative Party has been contacted for comment.