Ex-Minister Nusrat Ghani’s claim she was sacked for being a Muslim exposes Boris Johnson – The Yorkshire Post says

THAT TORY MP Nusrat Ghani has gone public now, and claimed that she was sacked as Transport Minister in 2020 due to her “Muslimness”, points to a wider toxicity, and breakdown of trust, overwhelming Boris Johnson’s premiership.
By YP Comment
Published 23rd Jan 2022, 16:24 BST
UK Parliament official file portrait of Tory MP Nusrat Ghani who has accused a Government whip of telling her that she was sacked from her ministerial post because her Muslim faith was making colleagues uncomfortable.UK Parliament official file portrait of Tory MP Nusrat Ghani who has accused a Government whip of telling her that she was sacked from her ministerial post because her Muslim faith was making colleagues uncomfortable.
UK Parliament official file portrait of Tory MP Nusrat Ghani who has accused a Government whip of telling her that she was sacked from her ministerial post because her Muslim faith was making colleagues uncomfortable.

The first female Muslim MP to hold ministerial office, Ms Ghani’s dismissal surprised many because she was a well-regarded politician appointed to her transport role on merit.

Revealed: How Boris Johnson lied to David Davis and MPs over Churchill’s ally after being told ‘In the name of God, go’ – Tom Richmond

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And Downing Street’s statement that the PM subsequently met the ex-minister, and urged her to lodge a complaint, is no defence if Ms Ghani felt that she would be “ostracised by colleagues” and her career “destroyed”.

Boris Johnson's leadership is again being called into question.Boris Johnson's leadership is again being called into question.
Boris Johnson's leadership is again being called into question.

The fact that so many MPs have expressed support for her suggests they view her as a woman of repute with a legitimate grievance over Islamophobia.

It follows alarming reports of Government whips abusing their authority amid claims, from senior Tory MP William Wragg, that some of his colleagues have been subjected to “blackmail” and bullying to deter them from backing a vote of no confidence in the PM.

This, in turn, coincides with “red wall” MP Christian Wakeford’s claim, after defecting to Labour, that Gavin Williamson, the then Education Secretary, threatened to pull the plug on funding for a new school if he rebelled. It leaves chief whip Mark Spencer and his deputy Stuart Andrew, the Pudsey MP, with their reputations in ruins.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And then reports that Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Selby MP Nigel Adams, the Cabinet Office Minister, are among those co-ordinating a “shadow” operation to shore up the PM’s position over Downing Street’s parties in lockdown.

Bury South MP Christian Wakeford (right) defected from the Tories to Labour last week.Bury South MP Christian Wakeford (right) defected from the Tories to Labour last week.
Bury South MP Christian Wakeford (right) defected from the Tories to Labour last week.

All this while the country awaits Sue Gray’s inquiry into “partygate” as war looms over Ukraine. As such, it’s even more reason for a fresh start as the Tory parliamentary party finds itself bereft of moral authority.

Support The Yorkshire Post and become a subscriber today. Your subscription will help us to continue to bring quality news to the people of Yorkshire. In return, you’ll see fewer ads on site, get free access to our app, receive exclusive members-only offers and access to all premium content and columns. Click here to subscribe.

Related topics:Boris JohnsonYorkshire PostMPsGavin Williamson

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.