One Muslim MP claimed to have been told by a Conservative party whip she was dismissed as a minister due to her religion causing discomfort for colleagues.
Nusrat Ghani (Tory MP for Wealden, East Sussex) was dismissed as Transport Minister in February 2020 in a minicabinet reshuffle.
49-year-old Ms. Ghani claimed that she was told by whip that Muslimness had been raised at a post reshuffle meeting. She also said her status of a Muslim woman minister and Muslim woman was making colleagues uncomfortable.
She told The Times she felt ‘humiliated and powerless’ after the alleged conversation, saying: ‘It was like being punched in the stomach.’
Ms. Ghani was first Muslim woman elected Tory MP for 2015. She claimed that she was told by her Tory colleagues that she would lose her career and reputation if she raised the matter.
The allegation was strongly denied by a government source who is close to whips’ offices.
Nusrat Khani (pictured), Tory MP for Wealden, East Sussex was fired as transport minister as part of a minicabinet restructuring in February 2020.
According to reports, Ms. Ghani was vice-chairwoman of 1922 Committee of Tory Backbenchers and stated that she had considered whether or not she would continue to be an MP following the incident.
When she spoke about the reshuffle she stated that she asked the whips at a post-reshuffle gathering why she was getting fired. She claimed that they told her “Muslimness” was an ‘issue”.
Ms Ghani, who previously served as Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury, claimed she was told there were concerns that she wasn’t ‘loyal’ to the party because she didn’t do enough to defend it against Islamophobia allegation.
She explained that it was clear to her that No 10, the whips, and No 10 held me accountable for my loyalty. This is because I am a Christian and have a strong faith.
The politician claimed that she met with another whip in March 2020 and was informed there is no Islamophobia within her party.
She claimed that the whip told her that she had been fired from the meeting for telling Boris Johnson she said that there was a “women problem” in their efforts to attract female voters.
Ms Ghani claimed she raised the issue through official party channels but said she was warned that if she continued to do so, she would be ‘ostracised’ by her colleagues and her ‘career and reputation would be destroyed’.
Following the “threats”, she stated that she followed procedures but was forced to follow them.
Ms. Ghani, 49 (picutred), claimed that she was told by whips her Muslimness was an issue at a post-reshuffle gathering and that her faith made colleagues uncomfortable.
An inquiry into Islamophobia in the Conservative Party, which was carried out two years ago, found no evidence that the Tory party is ‘institutionally racist’ but was critical of comments made by Boris Johnson.
An independent majority cleared the Prime Minister of a charge that he violated the party’s code. It was triggered by an article in the Daily Telegraph in 2018, which said Muslim women wearing the burkha looked like “letterboxes” and “bank robbers”. His comments were later repudiated.
Following a string of accusations about Islamophobic behaviour within the party, Prof Singh established the inquiry and expanded it to cover all forms discrimination.
From 2015-2020 the party’s central database recorded 1,418 complaints relating to 727 incidents of alleged discrimination – an average of 237 complaints about 122 incidents a year in a party of 200,000 members.
More than two-thirds of the incidents – 496 cases – related to Islam and 74 per cent of all the cases involved social media activity.
According to the report, an allegation that the party engaged in institutional racism was not supported by the evidence.
However, it admitted that anti-Muslim sentiment is still a problem within the Conservative Party.
Ms Ghani’s allegations come after rebel Tory William Wragg accused government whips of ‘blackmailing’ backbenchers seeking to oust the Prime Minister amid fears of a no-confidence vote.
This comes just as the rebel Tory William Wragg (pictured), accused government whips, who he claimed, ‘blackmailed’ backbenchers in an attempt to expel Boris Johnson amid concerns of a no confidence vote
According to Mr Wragg (34), he said that he would meet a Metropolitan Police detective in the House of Commons next week for discussion of his claims, raising concerns about the possibility of police opening an investigation.
On Friday, Mr Wragg stated that he would tell Detective’several instances’ of bullying and intimidation next week. He claimed some cases were public money.
The Telegraph reported that he stood by his statements. He said that no amount of gas lighting will alter this.
Downing Street stated that it will not launch its own investigation into the allegations, in spite of calls from both Conservative MPs and opposition MPs.
The spokesperson for No. 10 stated that it will only initiate an investigation if Mr Wragg is presented with supporting evidence.
However, Mr Wragg (Chair of Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee) stated that he believes an investigation should be left to the “experts” in police.
According to a spokesperson for Metropolitan Police, a statement was made that any criminal offense reported to the Met would be taken into consideration.
However, Adam Holloway, the Tory MP for Gravesham, dismissed the ‘blackmail’ allegations, saying he has ‘never known’ such behaviour to happen during his time in the Conservatives or Government, adding it ‘doesn’t ring true to me’.
After hearing the accusations, Mr Holloway (56), said that he could only speak for himself and had never experienced anything similar.
‘I’ve never known any sort of link with my behaviour in Parliament and resources coming into my constituency, so I suspect it’s complete bulls***.
Tom Tugendhat, Tory MP (pictured), insists that he’s never witnessed or experienced his party whips using blackmail in the wake of allegations by Mr Wragg
“That’s how it works in American politics. I have never seen that in America, in all 16 years. That just doesn’t work.
Tory MP Tom Tugendhat has also insisted that he has never experienced or witnessed his party’s whips use blackmail following the allegations.
On BBC Breakfast, the 48-year old MP for Tonbridge & Malling was asked if he’d ever been blackmailed or intimidated by whips of his party.
He replied, “No, that’s not what I meant. And as you might know, I wasn’t always the Government’s greatest supporter.” On occasions where I believed it was correct, I have voted for the government.
“I must say that I have always maintained a close relationship with Chief Whip and a productive one with whips. I am eager to learn more because I don’t know anything about it.
Johnson said on Thursday that he hadn’t seen evidence to back up the assertion made by Wragg about his critics being incited.
Christian Wakeford (the Bury South MP) claimed that the Tory whips warned him about funding for new schools in his constituency, if he refused to vote for free school meals.
Ministers attempted to deny the claims, insisting that whips were not involved in allocations of public money.