This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65202889
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| No action after probe into Tory Islamophobia claim | No action after probe into Tory Islamophobia claim |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Rishi Sunak is taking no action against Tory MP Mark Spencer, after an inquiry failed to determine whether he had told a colleague her Muslim faith was a factor in her sacking. | Rishi Sunak is taking no action against Tory MP Mark Spencer, after an inquiry failed to determine whether he had told a colleague her Muslim faith was a factor in her sacking. |
| Nus Ghani claimed she was told her "Muslimness was raised as an issue" when she lost her job in February 2020. | Nus Ghani claimed she was told her "Muslimness was raised as an issue" when she lost her job in February 2020. |
| Mr Spencer identified himself as the person Ms Ghani was referring to, but denied making the comments. | Mr Spencer identified himself as the person Ms Ghani was referring to, but denied making the comments. |
| A probe said he had not broken ministerial rules. | A probe said he had not broken ministerial rules. |
| The investigation, by Mr Sunak's ethic chief Sir Laurie Magnus, said the pair had "firm but very different recollections" of what he had told her in meetings. | |
| Sir Laurie added that advisers who were present at the time of Ms Ghani's sacking, and interviewed during the probe, said they did not hear conversations in which her faith was discussed. | |
| PM orders inquiry into 'Muslimness' sacking claim | |
| 'Muslimness' a reason for my sacking - ex-minister | |
| He therefore concluded that there was not enough evidence to show Mr Spencer had broken rules that say ministers must be professional in their dealings with colleagues. | |
| However, he criticised "shortcomings" in Mr Spencer's conduct after the claims emerged, including failing to mention a March 2020 meeting he had with Ms Ghani ahead of a meeting with then prime minister Boris Johnson to discuss the claims. | |
| Sir Laurie also said he should have "taken more care" before tweeting, inaccurately, that Ms Ghani's claims had been dismissed during a separate investigation into Islamophobia within the Conservative Party by an academic. | |
| Sir Laurie also noted there were "procedural and pastoral lessons to be drawn" from the investigation into the claims. | |
| In a written response, the prime minister said: "In the absence of clear evidence, it would not be right to take further action." | In a written response, the prime minister said: "In the absence of clear evidence, it would not be right to take further action." |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Mark Spencer | Mark Spencer |
| Nusrat Ghani | Nusrat Ghani |