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Conservative MPs And Peers Have Witnessed “Hundreds Of Complaints” Of Islamophobia

By Emma Guy, Editor 2 Mar 2023

Credit: UK Parliament

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Following allegations made a year ago into Islamophobia in the Conservative party, prime minister Rishi Sunak’s ethics advisor has taken over an inquiry into whether Nus Ghani’s faith contributed to her losing her position as transport minister. Since then, Conservative peers have stated that they have witnessed hundred of complaints about Islamophobia to the party.

Nus Ghani, Conservative MP for Wealden, was replaced as transport minister in a February 2020 reshuffle, during which she was allegedly told that her “Muslimness was raised as an issue”.

Ghani, who had worked in her post at the Department for Transport since 2018, became the first female Muslim minister to speak in the House of Commons.

Ghani also alleges that she was told her: “Muslim woman minister status was making colleagues feel uncomfortable” and that there were concerns “that I wasn’t loyal to the party as I didn’t do enough to defend the party against Islamophobia allegations”.

An investigation was delayed following the resignation of then-PM Boris Johnson’s ethics adviser Lord Geidt in June 2022. In December, prime minister Rishi Sunak appointed Laurie Magnus, who will now carry on the inquiry.

Former chief whip Mark Spencer named himself as the person Ghani was referring to

While Ghani did not reveal the chief whip who allegedly told her this, on 22 January 2022, Mark Spencer, Conservative MP for Sherwood and Defra minister, took to Twitter, stating that he was the person Ghani was referring to.

To ensure other Whips are not drawn into this matter, I am identifying myself as the person Nusrat Ghani MP has made claims about this evening.

These accusations are completely false and I consider them to be defamatory. I have never used those words attributed to me

— Mark Spencer (@Mark_Spencer) January 22, 2022

He wrote: “These accusations are completely false and I consider them to be defamatory. I have never used those words attributed to me.”

The following day, Ghani issued the following statement: “When I told the prime minister in June 2020 what has been said to me in the government whips’ office, I urged him to take it seriously as a government matter and instigate an inquiry.”

“Not a day has gone by without thinking about what I was told and wondering why I was in politics, while hoping for the government to take this seriously. Those that have not had their identity and faith questioned cannot fully appreciate what it does to you.”

Ghani had initially dropped the allegations over fear that she would be ostracised and her career and reputation would be destroyed. The Cabinet Office later launched an inquiry to “establish the facts about what happened”.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission stated: “Discrimination against public office holders is unacceptable and any suggestions of it should be tackled swiftly. Following the concerning reports about Nusrat Ghani MP, we have today written to the Cabinet Office and the Conservative party seeking further information.” A year later, Ghani is still waiting for clarity.

It was ‘an open secret in Westminster’

At the time of the launch of the inquiry Baroness Warsi, a member of the House of Lords, spoke out about a pattern of Islamophobia being considered a ‘less serious’ form of bigotry.

Warsi stated that she was not shocked by Ghani’s allegations for two reasons: “One, because what has happened to Nus Ghani is an open secret in Westminster – me and many, many colleagues have been aware of this for many months and the way that she has struggled to be heard.

“But secondly, because the pattern in Nus’s case is very similar to what I have seen in hundreds and hundreds of other complaints that have been made to the party about Islamophobia.”

Warsi had called the matter “disturbing” and “spine chilling”. She added: “The government acts in the interests of all its citizens and there are nearly four million British Muslims in this country who are looking at government right now and thinking, ‘Is it possible for a minister to lose her job simply because of her Muslimness?'”

In 2021, an inquiry into Islamophobia in the Conservative party was carried out by Professor Swaran Singh. The Singh inquiry found that two-thirds of complaints related to anti-Muslim discrimination and that the party’s complaints process was not fit for purpose to deal with them.

The Conservative party has stated that it is actively committed to investigating, and tackling anti-Muslim hatred. The inquiry is ongoing.

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Former chief whip Mark Spencer named himself as the person Ghani was referring to

It was ‘an open secret in Westminster’

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