Boris Johnson has claimed he is taking Islamophobia “extremely seriously” after launching a probe into allegations that a minister lost her job because of her religion.
Nusrat Ghani, the Tory MP for Wealden, says a government whip told her in 2020 that she was being fired from her role as junior transport minister due to her “Muslimness”. Mark Spencer, the government’s chief whip, denied the suggestion, branding it “defamatory”.
On Sunday, it emerged the PM met Ms Ghani two years ago to discuss what happened and encouraged her to submit a formal complaint to the Conservative Party, but she declined. Insisting Mr Johnson should face a grilling, Lib Dem MP Layla Moran accused the PM of “only acting now [because] the issue has surfaced in the media”.
Meanwhile, Tory MPs are keenly awaiting senior civil servant Sue Gray’s report into the partygate scandal, expected this week. Ex-Brexit secretary David Davis told the BBC this morning he would wait “three or four days” after its publication before encouraging the PM to resign.
No movement from No 10 on compulsory vaccines for NHS
No 10 has said there are no plans to change the implementation date for mandatory Covid vaccinations for all NHS frontline workers.
Asked whether the PM would bow to pressure to scrap the policy, Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said it remained the case that the government “believes mandatory vaccination is the right approach and there are no plans to change the implementation dates for this policy”.
He added: “Health and social care workers look after the most vulnerable people in society who would face serious health consequences if exposed to the virus, and obviously having a vaccination is also a way to ensure fewer staff absences, so a way to further help tackle some of the backlogs we’ve seen caused by staff absences when vaccinations weren’t available.”
It comes amid calls from some NHS workers themselves, as well as various Tory MPs, for the move to be reconsidered so health workers don’t lose their jobs.
But, stressing the importance of these worker’s lives, the PM’s spokesman said: “We wouldn’t want to see a single member of NHS staff lost because they weren’t willing to get the vaccination that has been proven to be safe around the world.”
Watch: PM says travel testing to be scrapped for vaccinated UK arrivals
Cabinet’s propriety and ethics team to lead Ghani probe
Let’s stick with the Ghani inquiry for now. No 10 has said the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team will carry out the investigation into claims of Islamophobia made by ex-minster Nusrat Ghani.
The PM’s official spokesman said the inquiry had been launched “because of the seriousness of these allegations”.
He explained: “She did speak to the prime minister back in 2020 and was encouraged to use the process through the Conservative Party.
“She’s made clear over the weekend that she felt it was not the right process and in light of that, that’s why we’ve started the Cabinet Office investigation, and obviously the prime minister spoke to her last night.”
The spokesman said he was not aware of whether Ms Ghani had made clear in 2020 that she did not think the Conservative Party complaints process was appropriate for her concerns.
PM distanced from comments made about Ghani by one of his MPs
The PM’s staff has distanced him from remarks made by Tory MP Michael Fabricant on Sunday, regarding Nusrat Ghani’s allegations about why she was fired from a ministerial role.
Mr Fabricant, the MP for Lichfield, told LBC Radio over the weekend that Ms Ghani was not somebody who “is obviously a Muslim”, and that it therefore “does seem rather a lame excuse to me that she was sacked because of that”.
Asked about the claims on Monday, though, Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said: “The PM would not agree with the idea that someone’s religion determines what someone looks like.”
Cummings claims Downing St staff keeping evidence from Sue Gray
Dominic Cummings has claimed evidence was being kept from Sue Gray’s investigation into drinks parties at No 10 and Whitehall because staff fear it would be seen by Boris Johnson.
The former Downing Street adviser also suggested that the fear meant that further evidence – including photos – will keep leaking after the top civil servant publishes her report, reports Adam Forrest.
In a warning to Tory backbenchers, Mr Cummings also tweeted: “Expect the parties story to roll on after report cos photos etc will not be given to the Cabinet Office. MPs must scrap [Mr Johnson] if they want the nightmare to end.”
No 10 giving as little info about Ghani inquiry as possible
As our deputy political editor Rob Merrick reports:
Watch: PM refuses to discuss chief whip’s future amid Islamophobia claims
As I mentioned earlier, the PM has been silent on whether chief whip Mark Spencer could lose his job over claims of Islamophobia within the Conservative party.
Here’s the clip from earlier today:
Cummings submitted evidence to partygate inquiry ‘in writing’
Boris Johnson’s former adviser Dominic Cummings has refused to meet the partygate investigator Sue Gray in person, saying it is better if their communication is all in writing.
Explaining the decision on his blog, Mr Cummings wrote: “When SG (Sue Gray) asked to speak to me I emailed to the effect: if we speak the PM will invent nonsense and spin it to the media and you and I will both have problems, let’s keep everything in writing, therefore he cannot invent things I’ve supposedly said to you, there is only a written record, this makes both our lives easier.
“She agreed. So I have answered questions in writing and will answer further questions in writing if she wants.
“But I will not speak and therefore provide the PM with more chances to lie and confuse everybody.”
His words come as the prime minister continues to face calls to resign over a series of lockdown-breaching parties at Downing Street.
National insurance rising going ahead, says PM
The government will go ahead with an unpopular national insurance hike later this year, the prime minister has said.
This comes despite opposition from senior Tories like former minister David Davis, who say the proposed1.25 per cent jump will make the cost-of-living crisis worse.
On a trip to Milton Keynes, Boris Johnson said the rise was necessary to fund the NHS properly.
“What I’m telling people is, if you want to fund our fantastic NHS, we have to pay for it – and this government is determined to do so,” he said.
Boris Johnson warns Russia invasion of Ukraine would be ‘painful, violent, bloody business’
Invading Ukraine would be a “painful, violent and bloody business” , Boris Johnson has warned Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The British prime minister urged the Kremlin, which has amassed more than 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine, not to attack its neighbour.
Mr Johnson said: “The intelligence is very clear that there are 60 Russian battle groups on the borders of Ukraine, the plan for a lightning war that could take out Kyiv is one that everybody can see.
“We need to make it very clear to the Kremlin, to Russia, that that would be a disastrous step.”
