News Week
Former British Transport Minister Nusrat Ghani said she was fired from her position in 2020 because of her “Muslimness,” prompting Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday to call for an investigation.
Ghani told The Sunday Times that when she was demoted, a Conservative Party whip said her “Muslimness was raised as an issue” and her being a Muslim woman made colleagues “uncomfortable.” She added that she was told if she persisted, her “career and reputation would be destroyed.”
In a statement posted to his Twitter, Chief Whip Mark Spencer identified himself as the one Ghani was referring to. However, he added that the allegations are “completely false and I consider them to be defamatory.” He also added that Ghani did not pursue a formal investigation into the incident.
According to the BBC, Ghani previously met with the prime minister to discuss the matter. A spokesperson told the news outlet that Johnson “then wrote to her expressing his serious concern and inviting her to begin a formal complaint process. She did not subsequently do so. The Conservative Party does not tolerate prejudice or discrimination of any kind.”
