Bassetlaw MP John Mann and Leeds Imam Qari Asim appointed as government racism advisors by outgoing PM Theresa May

The outgoing Prime Minister, Theresa May, has appointed Labour MP John Mann as an independent adviser on anti-Semitism, in her final full day in office.

The Bassetlaw MP, who chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism, will give advice on the most effective methods to tackle anti-Semitism.

The most recent national hate crime statistics published by the Home Office last October showed that Jewish people were the most likely group to experience religiously motivated hate crime.

Theresa May said she had been "proud to lead a government that is tackling such discrimination" but admitted "there is yet more to do".

Mr Mann said that silence on the issue of antisemitism, "unwittingly allow[s] cowardice and bigotry to speak its own repulsive language".

Today's appointment comes after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn outlines plans to speed up his party's disciplinary measures, following criticism of the way it handled recent cases.

Meanwhile the Conservative Party is facing Islamophobia complaints, with ITV News recently revealing members under investigation were still eligible to vote in the recent leadership contest.

Separately, Mrs May has also appointed a senior Imam at Makkah Mosque, in Leeds, to provide advice on the "definition of Islamophobia" to the government.

Imam Qari Asim MBE, Deputy Chair of the Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group, will lead a process for establishing a definition of Islamophobia. He will be joined by a second adviser to be confirmed in due course.

However, the government has already confirmed the definition "will not be legally binding". A legal expert will ensure that the definition does not conflict with current equalities legislation.