Nusrat Ghani Islamophobia claims won’t be looked at until ‘she makes a formal complaint’, says Raab
Dominic Raab, the deputy PM, has said there can be no investigation into the claim made by a Tory MP that she was sacked over her Muslim faith until she submits a “formal complaint” to the Conservative Party.
Nusrat Ghani said she was dismissed from her role as a transport minister in 2020 due to concerns around her “Muslimness”. She claimed she was told by an unnamed government whip that her faith was “making colleagues uncomfortable”. Chief whip Mark Spencer has since denied the allegations, calling them “completely false” and “defamatory”.
Mr Raab told Sky News earlier that while Ms Ghani’s claim was “incredibly serious”, she “hasn’t made a formal complaint” despite being “asked to do so”. He added: “In the absence of [this], there will be no specific investigation.”
The latest blow to Boris Johnson’s government came after The Sunday Times reported that the partygate inquiry may have unearthed details of Carrie Johnson hosting friends at their Downing Street flat during lockdown. The PM’s wife is said to have explained the visits as work-related events.
No 10 says PM met with Ghani in 2020 to discuss Islamophobia claims
After Nusrat Ghani told The Sunday Times she was sacked as transport minister in 2020 due to concerns around her “Muslimness”, a No 10 spokesperson said the matter had been dealt with two years ago.
In a statement, the spokesperson said:
“After being made aware of these extremely serious claims, the prime minister met with Nusrat Ghani to discuss them [on 1 July 2020].
“He then wrote to her [on 10 July] expressing his serious concern and inviting her to begin a formal complaint process. She did not subsequently do so.
“The Conservative Party does not tolerate prejudice or discrimination of any kind.”
Sam Hancock23 January 2022 11:02
Raab: Complaint needed before probe into Tory Islamophobia
Following my earlier posts, here’s our political correspondent Ashley Cowburn with more on the remarks Dominic Raab made this morning about Tory MP Nusrat Ghani.
Sam Hancock23 January 2022 10:49
ICYMI: Partygate inquiry ‘may have discovered’ event in PM’s flat
An inquiry into allegations of parties at Downing Street may have unearthed details of at least one gathering in Boris Johnson’s flat, reports suggest.
Sue Gray, the senior civil servant conducting the investigation, is reported to have received evidence of visits involving close friends of Carrie Johnson, the PM’s wife, during lockdown.
Mrs Johnson is said to have welcomed two friends – both civil servants but not working at No 10 at the time – into her residence on several occasions during lockdown, according to The Sunday Times, with the visits reportedly being explained as work-related.
Sam Hancock23 January 2022 10:09
Scandal will ‘follow Johnson as long as he is PM,’ says Brown
Back to the Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme now, where former Labour PM Gordon Brown said Boris Johnson’s government will likely end in scandal.
“My fear is that scandal is going to follow Boris Johnson as long as he is prime minister,” Brown said.
“We don’t just have the scandal – and all the details will probably come out later this week about partying – we have the conflicts of interest, we have the dubious appointments, we have foreign money and question marks over that, who is paying the bills for what?
“And I don’t think we are going to see this administration end in anything other than scandal.”
Mr Brown added that “attention has veered” away from other important issues like the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the rising cost of living in the UK, and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine because of the Downing Street parties.
Sam Hancock23 January 2022 09:51
BREAKING: ‘Unlikely’ British troops will be sent to Ukraine, says Raab
Last bit from Raab’s Sky interview now. The deputy PM said it is “extremely unlikely” that troops will be sent into Ukraine in the event of a Russian invasion, but stressed there will be “severe economic consequences” for the Kremlin, including financial sanctions.
“There will be very serious consequences if Russia takes this move to try and invade, but also install a puppet regime,” he said.
Asked how the government would respond, Raab said: “We wouldn’t telegraph all of the measures that we would take, but it’s important this very clear message… that there will be very serious, severe economic consequences”.
Our political correspondent Ashley Cowburn has the full report:
Sam Hancock23 January 2022 09:27
Watch: Raab says Tory MP Islamophobia claims require ‘formal complaint’
Nusrat Ghani Islamophobia claims won’t be looked at until ‘she makes a formal complaint’, says Raab
Sam Hancock23 January 2022 09:16
Sue Gray to interview Dominic Cummings on partygate ‘tomorrow’
During his interview with the deputy PM, Sky’s Sir Trevor Phillips said he “understands” civil servant Sue Gray is due to “re-interview” former No 10 adviser Dominic Cummings on Monday.
“I’m not going to mention Sue Gray too much, because I know what you’re going to tell me, that we’ve got to wait for what she says and so on,” Sir Trevor put to Dominic Raab.
“But the point is, we understand her report is now going to be delayed because there are even more parties to investigate. She is going to re-interview Dominic Cummings tomorrow, I understand. And another Red Wall Tory MP has submitted a letter of no confidence – it really is looking pretty grim for your government, for your prime minister.
“And this is more than a distraction, it is paralysing you.”
Refusing to be drawn on claims about Cummings or indeed partygate, Raab responded by saying he “accepts the seriousness of the issue”, which is why, he added, Gray “should be able to determine who, when and how she investigates”.
Gray is in the process of conducting her inquiry into scandal, part of which will focus on assessing whether various government figures, including PM Boris Johnson, knowingly broke the law and held parties while the rest of the country was in lockdown.
The PM’s former right-hand man, Mr Cummings, has been one of the main people working to expose the government’s secret gatherings, frequently writing blog posts and long Twitter threads about various events he says took place right under Johnson’s nose.
Sam Hancock23 January 2022 09:10
No inquiry for Ghani’s claims until ‘formal complaint’ submitted, says deputy PM
Raab has said there will not, and can not, be a “formal investigation” into Nusrat Ghani’s complaints “until she submits a formal complaint”.
Acknowledging the allegations were “incredibly serious”, the deputy PM said the Conservative Party has a “zero tolerance for Islamophobia”.
Appearing to suggest Ghani should not have gone to the media first, Raab said “a claim like this should be properly reported” and echoed the point made by chief whip Mark Spencer – who Ghani’s claims are about – that she had declined the opportunity to report the incident when she says it took place in 2020.
Spencer “has come forward” and denied these claims “outright,” Raab added.
Sam Hancock23 January 2022 08:47
Raab appears on Sky’s Trevor Phillips on Sunday
The deputy PM has just sat down on Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme, where he is set to be grilled on the various issues the government is facing.
Dominic Raab is likely to be asked about everything from partygate to the claims made by Nusrat Ghani today, that she was sacked from her ministerial post over her Muslim faith.
Sam Hancock23 January 2022 08:34
Another Tory MP ‘submits letter of no confidence in PM’
Aaron Bell, MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme, has submitted a letter of no confidence in Boris Johnson to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, it has been reported by The Sunday Times.
Bell was elected in 2019 and is considered a key voice among Red Wall colleagues, angry at the PM over the partygate scandal.
In a statement on Twitter, he wrote: “In the interests of being open with my constituents, it is no secret at Westminster that I have been unhappy about many aspects of the No 10 operation.
“I have been quite open with the whips and earlier this week I spoke plainly to the prime minister about my concerns.”
Refusing to say plainly if he submitted a letter, Bell added: “When I was asked about this by The Sunday Times, I gave them the same answer that I have given constituents who have written to me, namely that I do not intend to comment on what is an internal and confidential process within the parliamentary party.”
Sam Hancock23 January 2022 08:31