Allies of the Conservative MP Nusrat Ghani have said they fear a “cover-up” of Islamophobia within the party after the former chief whip Mark Spencer was cleared of rule-breaking over claims he told Ghani her “Muslimness” played a role in her sacking. Rishi Sunak said on Thursday he would take no further action against Spencer, who is now an environment minister.
An inquiry by the prime minister’s ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, noted Spencer’s “shortcomings” in his actions as chief whip, but did not find him guilty of breaching the ministerial code because of “inconclusive evidence” about whether the alleged remarks were made. Magnus said both Ghani and Spencer had been adamant and consistent in their conviction about what was said, but gave differing accounts. He found no evidence that Ghani’s religion had come up during cabinet reshuffle discussions. Magnus was tasked with concluding an investigation launched last January after Ghani, the MP for Wealden in East Sussex, claimed Spencer linked her sacking as transport minister to her faith, and allegedly said it was “making colleagues uncomfortable”. She said she was warned her career would be “destroyed” if she tried to complain after meeting Spencer during the 2020 cabinet reshuffle, when Boris Johnson was prime minister. Ghani likened the ordeal to being “punched in the stomach” when she revealed it to the Sunday Times last year. She said her loyalty was also questioned because she “didn’t do enough to defend the party against Islamophobia allegations”. After the publication of the inquiry’s findings, an ally of Ghani stressed Magnus had conducted the investigation to the best of his ability, but criticised what they called a “protection racket” around Johnson and his former top team. “There are people who know the truth and may have changed what they said they heard subsequently,” the ally said. They said they doubted Spencer’s alleged comments were his own, and believed that instead he had, with “pig-headedness”, repeated what he had heard from people in No 10. “I believe her,” the ally said. “I think she is telling the truth.” Another ally criticised the Conservatives for failing to tackle the “stench of Islamophobia within the party”. They said the Tories had a track record of brushing such allegations under the carpet. A senior Conservative source said they feared the handling of Ghani’s allegations “sends out a terrible message” on how the party challenges Islamophobia. They accused Sunak of enabling a “revolving door of racism” within the party, as little had changed since Johnson left government last year. Sayeeda Warsi, the former Conservative party chair who is now a Tory peer, said Ghani had been “treated appallingly for the last two years”, and that without the media, her case would not have been dealt with. Lady Warsi said: “We have people within our party who have dubious racist views, and communicate with dubious racist language. The test of leadership is when the party and prime minister ensures people holding these views do not hold high office and do not influence policymaking in government.” Magnus concluded in his report: “Both Ms Ghani and Mr Spencer consider each other to be mistaken in their recollections and both remain aggrieved and personally affected by the impact of this public disagreement. I would hope that, as dedicated public servants and ministers of the crown, they will now find a way to move on from these events.” Sunak wrote to Magnus saying the events surrounding the sacking had been an “unsatisfactory experience for both ministers involved”. He added: “But in the absence of clear evidence, it would not be right to take further action. I have spoken to both ministers and encouraged them to heed your advice to pull together in the finest tradition of public service.” Responding to the findings, Ghani, who is now a business minister, urged Spencer to explain his “shortcomings” and other failings. “There is no criticism or doubt expressed regarding my version of events,” she said. “We all serve at the prime minister’s choosing and there is no shame in a political career ending. But to be told your faith and identity is the reason for it cannot be acceptable in any way. “The impact of being told this was devastating and my motivation in pursuing the complaint was to ensure it wasn’t buried, but that it ended with me so that no other colleague would have to endure anything similar.” Magnus said he was unable to “draw a clear picture” of the discussions between the pair in 2020 as there was not an independent witness to the “exit interview”. Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said the report was “damning” for a Conservative party which had yet to adopt a formal definition of Islamophobia. She said: “It’s taken three years for a broken system to reach this unsatisfactory conclusion.” • This article was amended on 7 April 2023 because an earlier version said Ghani was the MP for East Sussex. She represents the constituency of Wealden, which is located in East Sussex.