Boris Johnson news – live: Nusrat Ghani sacking probe if complaint made, says Raab amid PM flat party reports

Dominic Raab, the deputy PM, has said there can be no investigation into the claim made by a Tory MP that she was sacked over her Muslim faith until she submits a “formal complaint” to the Conservative Party.

Nusrat Ghani said she was dismissed from her role as a transport minister in 2020 due to concerns around her “Muslimness”. She claimed she was told by an unnamed government whip that her faith was “making colleagues uncomfortable”. Chief whip Mark Spencer has since denied the allegations, calling them “completely false” and “defamatory”.

Mr Raab told Sky News earlier that while Ms Ghani’s claim was “incredibly serious”, she “hasn’t made a formal complaint” despite being “asked to do so”. He added: “In the absence of [this], there will be no specific investigation.”

The latest blow to Boris Johnson’s government came after The Sunday Times reported that the partygate inquiry may have unearthed details of Carrie Johnson hosting friends at their Downing Street flat during lockdown. The PM’s wife is said to have explained the visits as work-related events.

Key Points

• Tory MP says she was sacked as minister over Muslim faith...

• ...but Raab says ‘no inquiry’ until a ‘formal complaint’ is submitted

• Partygate inquiry ‘may have discovered’ event in PM’s flat

• No 10 says PM met with Ghani in 2020 to discuss Islamophobia claims

• Chief whip denies ‘completely false’ allegations and calls them ‘defamatory’

• Another Tory MP ‘submits letter of no confidence in PM’

Watch: ‘Unlikely’ British troops will be sent to Ukraine if Russia invades

12:07 , Sam Hancock

PM will have to resign if he’s found to have lied to parliament - Raab

12:06 , Sam Hancock

A bit more from Dominic Raab now. The deputy PM has said again Boris Johnson would have to resign if he was found to have misled parliament over a party held at No 10.

“The code of conduct for ministers is very clear that if you mislead parliament it is a resigning matter,” Raab told Times Radio earlier.

He also appeared to suggest publication of the Gray report could take slightly longer than expected.

“If it takes a day or too longer - absolutely right. Sue Gray should determine that,” he said, adding of Gray: “I don’t think you could have anyone who is more confident and dutiful in speaking truth to power.”

Labour urges PM to hold independent inquiry into Islamophobia

12:01 , Sam Hancock

Let’s hear from the Labour Party now. Shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry has said the Conservatives should hold an independent inquiry into Islamophobia.

Responding to accusations made by Tory MP Nusrat Ghani that she was fired from a ministerial role for her “Muslimness”, Ms Thornberry said: “I know Nus Ghani... I have always found her to be a deeply serious and principled individual. When she makes an allegation like this, I believe her.”

Speaking to Times Radio, Ms Thornberry added that the Conservative Party “just don’t take Islamophobia in their midst seriously”.

She added: “I would like to see an independent inquiry into Islamophobia in the Tory Party in the same way that we quite rightly held an independent inquiry into the poison that is antisemitism in the Labour Party.”

Neither Ghani nor Spencer backing down on Islamophobia claims

11:28 , Sam Hancock

As Sky’s Sam Coates reports:

PM ‘invited his MP to begin formal complaint process two years ago’

11:17 , Sam Hancock

On that note, here’s Ashley Cowburn with more on the revelations by Downing Street:

Johnson met Nusrat Ghani to discuss Islamophobia allegations in 2020, No 10 reveals

No 10 says PM met with Ghani in 2020 to discuss Islamophobia claims

11:02 , Sam Hancock

After Nusrat Ghani told The Sunday Times she was sacked as transport minister in 2020 due to concerns around her “Muslimness”, a No 10 spokesperson said the matter had been dealt with two years ago.

In a statement, the spokesperson said:

“After being made aware of these extremely serious claims, the prime minister met with Nusrat Ghani to discuss them [on 1 July 2020].

“He then wrote to her [on 10 July] 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.”

Raab: Complaint needed before probe into Tory Islamophobia

10:49 , Sam Hancock

Following my earlier posts, here’s our political correspondent Ashley Cowburn with more on the remarks Dominic Raab made this morning about Tory MP Nusrat Ghani.

Formal complaint needed before investigation into Islamophobia allegations, says Raab

ICYMI: Partygate inquiry ‘may have discovered’ event in PM’s flat

10:09 , Sam Hancock

An inquiry into allegations of parties at Downing Street may have unearthed details of at least one gathering in Boris Johnson’s flat, reports suggest.

Sue Gray, the senior civil servant conducting the investigation, is reported to have received evidence of visits involving close friends of Carrie Johnson, the PM’s wife, during lockdown.

Mrs Johnson is said to have welcomed two friends – both civil servants but not working at No 10 at the time – into her residence on several occasions during lockdown, according to The Sunday Times, with the visits reportedly being explained as work-related.

Zoe Tidman has more:

Partygate inquiry ‘may have discovered at least one gathering’ in Downing Street flat

Scandal will ‘follow Johnson as long as he is PM,’ says Brown

09:51 , Sam Hancock

Back to the Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme now, where former Labour PM Gordon Brown said Boris Johnson’s government will likely end in scandal.

“My fear is that scandal is going to follow Boris Johnson as long as he is prime minister,” Brown said.

“We don’t just have the scandal - and all the details will probably come out later this week about partying - we have the conflicts of interest, we have the dubious appointments, we have foreign money and question marks over that, who is paying the bills for what?

“And I don’t think we are going to see this administration end in anything other than scandal.”

Mr Brown added that “attention has veered” away from other important issues like the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the rising cost of living in the UK, and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine because of the Downing Street parties.

BREAKING: ‘Unlikely’ British troops will be sent to Ukraine, says Raab

09:27 , Sam Hancock

Last bit from Raab’s Sky interview now. The deputy PM said it is “extremely unlikely” that troops will be sent into Ukraine in the event of a Russian invasion, but stressed there will be “severe economic consequences” for the Kremlin, including financial sanctions.

“There will be very serious consequences if Russia takes this move to try and invade, but also install a puppet regime,” he said.

Asked how the government would respond, Raab said: “We wouldn’t telegraph all of the measures that we would take, but it’s important this very clear message… that there will be very serious, severe economic consequences”.

Our political correspondent Ashley Cowburn has the full report:

‘Extremely unlikely’ troops will be sent to Ukraine, Dominic Raab says

Watch: Raab says Tory MP Islamophobia claims require ‘formal complaint’

09:16 , Sam Hancock

Sue Gray to interview Dominic Cummings on partygate ‘tomorrow’

09:10 , Sam Hancock

During his interview with the deputy PM, Sky’s Sir Trevor Phillips said he “understands” civil servant Sue Gray is due to “re-interview” former No 10 adviser Dominic Cummings on Monday.

“I’m not going to mention Sue Gray too much, because I know what you’re going to tell me, that we’ve got to wait for what she says and so on,” Sir Trevor put to Dominic Raab.

“But the point is, we understand her report is now going to be delayed because there are even more parties to investigate. She is going to re-interview Dominic Cummings tomorrow, I understand. And another Red Wall Tory MP has submitted a letter of no confidence - it really is looking pretty grim for your government, for your prime minister.

“And this is more than a distraction, it is paralysing you.”

Refusing to be drawn on claims about Cummings or indeed partygate, Raab responded by saying he “accepts the seriousness of the issue”, which is why, he added, Gray “should be able to determine who, when and how she investigates”.

Gray is in the process of conducting her inquiry into scandal, part of which will focus on assessing whether various government figures, including PM Boris Johnson, knowingly broke the law and held parties while the rest of the country was in lockdown.

The PM’s former right-hand man, Mr Cummings, has been one of the main people working to expose the government’s secret gatherings, frequently writing blog posts and long Twitter threads about various events he says took place right under Johnson’s nose.

No inquiry for Ghani’s claims until ‘formal complaint’ submitted, says deputy PM

08:47 , Sam Hancock

Raab has said there will not, and can not, be a “formal investigation” into Nusrat Ghani’s complaints “until she submits a formal complaint”.

Acknowledging the allegations were “incredibly serious”, the deputy PM said the Conservative Party has a “zero tolerance for Islamophobia”.

Appearing to suggest Ghani should not have gone to the media first, Raab said “a claim like this should be properly reported” and echoed the point made by chief whip Mark Spencer – who Ghani’s claims are about – that she had declined the opportunity to report the incident when she says it took place in 2020.

Spencer “has come forward” and denied these claims “outright,” Raab added.

Raab appears on Sky’s Trevor Phillips on Sunday

08:34 , Sam Hancock

The deputy PM has just sat down on Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme, where he is set to be grilled on the various issues the government is facing.

Dominic Raab is likely to be asked about everything from partygate to the claims made by Nusrat Ghani today, that she was sacked from her ministerial post over her Muslim faith.

Another Tory MP ‘submits letter of no confidence in PM’

08:31 , Sam Hancock

Aaron Bell, MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme, has submitted a letter of no confidence in Boris Johnson to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, it has been reported by The Sunday Times.

Bell was elected in 2019 and is considered a key voice among Red Wall colleagues, angry at the PM over the partygate scandal.

In a statement on Twitter, he wrote: “In the interests of being open with my constituents, it is no secret at Westminster that I have been unhappy about many aspects of the No 10 operation.

“I have been quite open with the whips and earlier this week I spoke plainly to the prime minister about my concerns.”

Refusing to say plainly if he submitted a letter, Bell added: “When I was asked about this by The Sunday Times, I gave them the same answer that I have given constituents who have written to me, namely that I do not intend to comment on what is an internal and confidential process within the parliamentary party.”

Chief whip denies firing MP over her faith and calls claims ‘defamatory’

08:21 , Sam Hancock

Following my last post, Mark Spencer, the government’s chief whip, has since come out and identified himself as the person Nusrat Ghani indirectly referred to in her Sunday Times interview.

Denying her version of events, though, he posted the following thread on Twitter:

Tory MP says she was sacked as minister over Muslim faith

08:18 , Sam Hancock

A Tory MP has claimed she was told her Muslim faith was “making colleagues feel uncomfortable” after asking why she was sacked as a minister.

Nusrat Ghani told The Sunday Times she asked a party whip about the decision, made in a 2020 reshuffle, and was told her religion was discussed at a Downing Street meeting.

The former transport minister also said she was told there were concerns she was not doing enough to defend the Tories against allegations of Islamophobia.

It comes as the conduct of whips is under intense scrutiny over accusations of intimidation and blackmail, first made by fellow Tory MP William Wragg last week.

Zoe Tidman has the full report:

Tory MP says she was sacked because her Muslim faith ‘made colleagues uncomfortable’

Raab: PM ‘has taken a few hits but he’ll come out fighting’

08:16 , Sam Hancock

Dominic Raab says the PM “has taken a few hits” in recent weeks, “but he’ll come out fighting”.

It comes amid calls for Boris Johnson to resign over alleged unlawful parties held in No 10 during Covid restrictions, with a report by civil servant Sue Gray about so-called partygate expected in the next few days.

Writing in The Sun on Sunday, though, Mr Raab moved to remind readers of the PM’s work over the last three years. The justice secretary wrote: “The prime minister has faced two of the nation’s biggest challenges in our post-war history: Delivering Brexit and getting us through the worst pandemic in living memory.

“It has not been easy. He has taken some knocks. But the thing about this Prime Minister is that he never stays on the ropes for long.”

He did, however, admit that the “culture in No 10” needed to be “addressed to meet the standards the public rightly expect”.

Dominic Raab says PM ‘has taken a few hits but he’ll come out fighting’

Good morning

08:06 , Sam Hancock

Hello, and welcome to another day of The Independent’s rolling politics coverage.

It’s set to be another intense day of speculation around Boris Johnson’s position, with deputy PM Dominic Raab out on the defence this morning.

Stay tuned as we bring you all the latest.