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Civil war within the UK Conservative Party escalated on Sunday when a former prime minister criticized Islamophobia after he was fired and warned not to hold public talks.
Nusrat Ghani, a former transport minister from January 2018 to February 2020, is said to have been told by a Tory whip that “his Islam was aroused as a problem” by Downing Street as a result of his shooting. He also said that the whip told him that “his Muslim Muslim minister is making his friends feel uncomfortable”.
Ghani, 49, told a Sunday Times he felt “humiliated and powerless” after the incident and was warned not to discuss the matter or “his work and reputation would be ruined”. He added: “I can not imagine that this did not shake my faith in the party.”
This comes as the Tories are preparing to publish this week’s expected version of Prime Minister Sue Gray’s report on alleged party activities on Downing Street during the closing ceremony. This prompted several Tory MPs to issue letters independent of Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Downing Street said Johnson met Ghani on July 1 2020 after being informed of “this information” and wrote to him on July 10 “telling him his feelings and asking him to start complaining”. Number 10 added: “The Conservative Party does not tolerate any kind of discrimination or prejudice.”
Mark Spencer, the main whip, was identified as the whip he spoke to in March 2020 but described what he described as “false” and “defamatory”.
“It is a pity that when the matter was brought before Ms Ghani she refused to send the matter to the Conservative party for investigation,” she wrote on Twitter.
Spencer added: “I gave evidence to Singh Investigation in Islamophobia which confirmed that there were no compelling reasons for the allegations.”
But Ghani was defended by education secretary Nadhim Zahawi, who demanded that the allegations be “properly investigated” and that “racism be eliminated”.
He wrote with the hashtag #standwithNus, “there is no place for Islammophobia or any discrimination in our Conservatives party. Nus Ghani is a friend, colleague and wise counselor.
Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, told Sky News that the allegations were “very serious” but also declined to comment.
“It is very unusual for a major whiplash to emerge and. . . has strongly criticized what we might call a straightforward and powerful statement, “he said.
Many other prominent Conservatives have encouraged Ghani. Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs select committee, asked for an inquiry into the allegations. “There is no place for discrimination in the Conservatives.” Steve Baker, a well-known defender in the back seat, described what he called “intolerance” and said: “We need to get to the end.”
Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labor party, expressed solidarity with Ghani and criticized the “high-profile” culture. He said: “There are reports of misconduct and disrespect within the government.”
Meanwhile Christian Wakeford, who rebelled against the Labor Party from the Tories last week, named former education secretary and chief whip Gavin Williamson as a whip who threatened to ban the construction of a new school if he “did not vote in another way”.
Wakeford told the Sunday Times, Williamson told him: “It’s not really helpful to support the opposition [motion] against the department you want the most loved by the department, think about what you are doing. ”
Williamson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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