The Conservative party has said it will not take further action against a Tory MP who suggested in a now-deleted tweet that criticism of the party for allegations of Islamophobia would harm “Anglo-Muslim relations”. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) is to make a formal complaint about the message posted by Michael Fabricant on Wednesday in response to its media spokesman, Miqdaad Versi. Fabricant, the MP for Lichfield, said in the since-deleted post that it was spiteful to draw comparison between the Tories and Labour, who have been investigated by the equality watchdog about treatment of Jewish members. In the tweet to Versi, Fabricant wrote: “Your spite and unpleasantness neither does the cause of tolerance in this country nor the cause of Anglo-Muslim relations any good at all.” The tweet was later deleted and replaced with: “Your spite and unpleasantness neither does the cause of tolerance in this country nor the cause of relations between Muslims and non-Muslims any good at all.” Asked on Twitter why he had deleted the original tweet, Fabricant said it had been misrepresented. “I deleted it because some people chose to misinterpret it. I replaced it with Muslims and non-Muslims, which is clearer. Religion/no-religion and nationality are two different matters. I hope that answer is helpful,” he tweeted. A Conservative party spokesperson said: “Michael Fabricant has clarified his tweet. He is raising an important point about how it is the Labour party that has been investigated by the EHRC for racism. The Conservative party does not tolerate prejudice and discrimination.” Fabricant said in a statement released by the party: “I am clear that there is no connection between religion and nationality, which is why I have clarified my tweet accordingly.” A spokesperson for the MCB said: “Even though the Conservative party faces hundreds of allegations of Islamophobia, Tory MP Michael Fabricant attacks MCB spokesperson Miqdaad Versi by urging him to look the other way and focus on bigotry elsewhere. “In doing so, Mr Fabricant betrays his own prejudices by accusing English-born Miqdaad Versi of hindering ‘Anglo-Muslim’ relations. The implication is that Muslims are foreign and alien to the English.” The spokesman said the comment “be it inadvertent or not, betrays a view of Muslims institutionalised in sections of the Conservative party – that Muslims are not part and parcel of British society”. The MCB said Fabricant must face an investigation over his comments. “Failure to do so will only underscore that the Conservative party does not have a zero-tolerance approach to tackling Islamophobia and racism,” the spokesman said. The MCB has made repeated complaints about Islamophobia in the Conservative party and earlier this year submitted a dossier of more than 300 allegations of Islamophobia to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the same body that investigated Labour. The EHRC declined to proceed with the investigation, citing plans for an independent investigation looking into complaints of discrimination over “religion or belief and significantly Islam” in the party. The MCB has said it is concerned about the inquiry’s limited focus, only looking at the way complaints are handled, rather than the issue of racism within the party. It also claims the Conservative inquiry has been broadened to include all discrimination and is not focusing enough on anti-Islamic sentiment. It is being led by former commissioner of the EHRC, Prof Swaran Singh.