According to a Conservative peer, Nusrat Ghani, Tory MP for Nusrat Islamophobic Treatment was an “open secret” at Westminster.
Ex-Party Chairman Baroness Sayeeda Warsi stated that her Muslim colleagues were used to keeping their heads down out of fear that their political career would be hampered by speaking out.
Ms Ghani, the MP for Wealden, has claimed the party’s chief whip linked her ‘Muslimness’ to her sacking as a minister in 2020.
Ex-chairman of the Tory party, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi left (left), said that her fellow Muslims are ‘used at keeping their heads down’ as she spoke out about Nusrat Ghani’s Islamophobia claims.
Commenting on the scandal, Baroness Warsi told Sky News: ‘What has happened to Nus Ghani is an open secret around Westminster. This has been something that I and my colleagues knew for months. We also know the struggle she’s had to make her voice heard.
“And secondly the pattern in Nus’s case is similar to what I have seen in many other complaints made to the party regarding Islamophobia.
It is seen by colleagues as less serious than other forms of racism. If the subject is brought up in the workplace, they feel threatened and excluded. They feel like the problem is a career-ending matter.
Nearly four million British Muslims are currently looking at government and wondering if it would be possible for a minister’s job to be lost simply because she is Muslim. This is what could possibly be going on at the heart and soul of government. It’s frightening.
In a separate interview with the i, she said Tory MPs knew to ‘keep their heads down’ and not speak on issues affecting the wider British Muslim community for fear of hindering their political careers, and that she had been warned not to ‘flex your Muslim muscles’ inside the party.
Yesterday, it was revealed Health Secretary Sajid Javid is set to face questions from the Whitehall investigation into Ms Ghani’s claims.
According to some reports, she may have confided in Health Secretary privately shortly after she claimed that the Conservative party Chief Whip had told her she was being fired partly because of her faith as junior transport minister.
According to The Telegraph Mr Javid recognized the seriousness and urgency of the allegations. He urged Mrs Javid to take the matter to a higher level, but he also honored her request for confidentiality.
Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, insisted that he takes Ms Ghani’s claims seriously and directed the Cabinet Office investigation.
This was after Nadhim Zhawi and Javid, both Cabinet ministers, joined demands for an independent inquiry.
Mr Johnson told reporters on a visit to Milton Keynes University Hospital yesterday morning: ‘We take these allegations extremely seriously. These allegations were made 18 months ago, and I took them seriously.
“Very grateful there’s an inquiry taking place right now. I can’t tell you more.
Sajid Javid (Health Secretary) will face Whitehall questions about the Whitehall probe into whether Nusrat Khani, Tory MP, was dismissed for her “Muslimness”.
Downing Street announced the probe yesterday, with a Number 10 spokeswoman saying: ‘The Prime Minister has asked the Cabinet Office to conduct an inquiry into the allegations made by Nusrat Ghani MP.
‘At time the allegations were first made the Prime Minister advised her to make a formal complaint to CCHQ. This offer was declined by her.
“The Prime Minister has asked the officials to verify what actually happened. These claims are taken very seriously by the Prime Minister, he stated at that time.
Ms. Ghani claims that Mark Spencer, the chief whip of Mark Spencer claimed her faith played a part in her 2020 boot – an allegation he flatly denied.
Mr Johnson was asked this morning if Mr Spencer will remain in his role while the investigation is carried out and he replied: ‘Just to get back to the key point, this is something I take personally extremely seriously. This was something that I took very seriously 18 years ago. Let’s wait to see the results of this investigation.
Ms Ghani has contradicted No10’s version of events, saying the PM refused to get involved and tried to fob her off.
Following the announcement Ms. Ghani insist that the terms of reference must encompass ‘all the things said by Downing Street or the Whip’.
Ms. Ghani said, “As I stated to the Prime Minister last evening all I want for this is that it be taken seriously and for him investigate.”
“I appreciate his decision to do this now.
The inquiry terms should include everything that was stated in Downing Street, and the Whip.
“I’m looking forward to the terms of reference.”
In a round of interviews this morning, Mr Zahawi welcomed the news, but stressed he did not think the allegations had been taken lightly before.
He stated that he has never experienced racism within the Conservative Party.
Sky News was informed by the Education Secretary that she had made an extremely serious allegation. The Prime Minister talked to her last night, and stated that the Cabinet Office would investigate and examine the details.
“She made a statement last evening saying that, in fairness to herself, these could have been people who were not even Conservative Party members. This is why it’s important to quickly get to the bottom.
“And, of course, the Chief Whip Mark Spencer has spoken out, and he has identified himself as the person. I also work with them, so I believe it’s important for someone such as a Cabinet Office senior civil service to examine this carefully, since the Chief Whip categorically denies this.
The Government was urged by a think tank to send the Equality and Human Rights Commission to examine the allegations.
Runnymede Trust is a thinktank that promotes race equality. It says this issue is too crucial to leave to civil servant-led inquiries.
According to Dr Halima Beum, the Guardian’s chief executive officer, this is an extremely grave situation. The allegation that Dr Halima Begum was fired as minister to the Crown for her “Muslimness” would be a serious challenge to equality and labor laws.
“The very highest authority must immediately investigate the facts and any questions regarding the legality of the events that occurred here. It is not possible to leave this for another civil servant inquiry. If these allegations were true, Nusrat could have faced discriminatory treatment.
‘[Her]Every one of the three million Muslims living in this country will feel the pain, along with every member of any of the religious minorities. Each political party needs to be more aggressive in demonstrating zero tolerance of discrimination and to ensure that religious minorities within this country are treated with respect regardless of their religion.
Caroline Nokes was chair of the Commons Women and Equalities Committee. She described Ms Ghani’s treatment as “appalling”.
She supported the EHRC’s call to investigate and said that her faith had never made her (or any of my colleagues) feel ‘uncomfortable.
“At minimum EHRC should take a look at it.”
A spokesperson for the EHRC stated that the Commission continues to examine the Conservative Party’s response to the Singh inquiry about Islamophobia complaints. He suggested that a thorough investigation might be conducted.
According to the spokesperson, “If progress has not been made we will reconsider our decision.” [not to begin an immediate review]’
Nadhim Zhawi welcomed this morning’s news about a Cabinet Office probe in an interview
This morning, Ms Ghani’s extraordinary claims were referred to the PM. The civil service was instructed by the PM (pictured right running) to investigate. Mark Spencer, right) identified himself as the whip in question and called Ms Ghani’s remarks ‘false and defamatory.
Following the announcement, Ms. Ghani demanded that the terms for the probe include “all that was spoken in Downing Street by the Whip”.
Elsewhere, a Tory MP sparked anger after he said Ms Ghani was ‘hardly someone who is obviously a Muslim’.
Michael Fabricant stated that the ex-transport minister made the claim at a time “very suspicious” and said it could be linked to attempts to remove Boris Johnson from Downing Street over the lockdown party scandal.
Yesterday, Labour described Mr Fabricant’s comments as ‘shameful’ and called for the Conservative whip to be withdrawn.
Fabricant stated that the timing was interesting when he spoke on LBC. This is all because Boris Johnson has been openly scrutinized by the party, and they are trying to put pressure on Johnson to step down.
Nus Ghani says, “I think that the entire thing is actually disgusting.”
“She is not a Muslim. It was not clear to me what her religion is. To me, it seems a ridiculous excuse that she was dismissed for that.
David Lammy, shadow foreign secretary, responded by tweeting: “What an awful, shameful thing to do.
The Tories could remove Michael Fabricant’s whip if they wanted to demonstrate that they care about Islamophobia.
Anneliese Dodds chair Labour Party said that Ms Ghani had made a terrible claim and the Tories responded in a shameful manner.
“For Michael Fabricant to be a Conservative MP and make comments on radio that mirror exactly the kind of unacceptable behavior Nusrat has brought up shows how serious the problem is in the Conservative Party,” she stated.
Ms. Ghani received support from Education Nadhimzahawi (the two highest ranking Muslims in the Cabinet) and Sajid Javid, Health Secretary.
Both men took to Twitter to show support for her and to demand an in-depth investigation of her allegations against Spencer.
He identified himself to be the whip and called Ms. Ghani’s comments false and defamatory.
Dominic Raab (Justice secretary) also stood by to defend the party. He claimed she hadn’t called for an investigation.
Javid claimed that Ms. Ghani is a credit for the Conservative Party, and added: “This matter is very serious. It requires an investigation. Her making a formal complain is something I support strongly. She should be heard.
He tweeted that Mr Zahawi had made an intervention: ‘There’s no place in the Conservative party for racism or islamophobia. Nusrat Ghani is a friend, a colleague & a brilliant parliamentarian. This has to be investigated properly & racism routed out. #standwithNus’ .
Ms Ghani, who was the first Muslim woman to be elected as a Tory MP in 2015, told the Sunday Times she was told by a party whip she was being axed in February 2020 because her status as a Muslim woman and a minister was ‘making colleagues feel uncomfortable’.
She also claimed she was warned that if she continued to raise the issue then her ‘career and reputation would be destroyed’.
But yesterday morning Downing Street revealed that Ms Ghani had complained directly to the PM in 2020. A spokeswoman said: ‘After being made aware of these extremely serious claims, the Prime Minister met with Nusrat Ghani to discuss them.
“He sent her an email expressing concern about her and asking her to initiate a formal process of complaint. She didn’t do this.
After that statement was released, Ms Ghani said: ‘When I told the Prime Minister in June 2020 what had been said to me in the Government Whips’ Office I urged him to take it seriously as a Government matter and instigate an inquiry.
He wrote me to say that he was unable to get involved. I suggested using the internal Conservative Party complaints process.
“This was, as I already stated, very clearly inappropriate for something which happened on Government Business – I don’t even know whether the words I received about the Downing Street reshuffle were from members of the Conservative Party.
Yesterday Justice Secretary Dominic Raab stood behind him, saying that Ms. Ghani would need to file a formal complaint in order to initiate a specific investigation.
Ms. Ghani stated that Mark Spencer, the chief whip, said that her faith earned her the boot for 2020
