ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ

The day before the programme was broadcast, Ms Ghani had told the Sunday Times β€œ(her) Muslimness was raised as an issue” when she was dismissedΒ  from government in 2020 and it was this allegation of Islamophobia within the Conservative Party which The World at One sought to explore. Β After playing a recording of the then Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announcing an inquiry, and an extract of an interview with Lady Warsi who was critical of the party’s record in this area, the programme spoke to Lord Sheikh, founder and President of the Conservative Muslim Forum. Β The presenter put to him that only two Cabinet ministers, Sajid Javid and Nadhim Zahawi had spoken, via Twitter, about what happened and questioned why other white colleagues had not also intervened. Β The complainant argued this was a serious misrepresentation of the facts because the then Deputy Prime Minister, Dominic Raab, had also commented.

The two tweets in question read:

Nadhim Zahawi: β€œThere is no place for islamophobia or any form of racism in our @Conservatives party. @Nus_Ghani is a friend, a colleague & a brilliant parliamentarian. This has to be investigated properly & racism routed out. #standwithNus”

Sajid Javid: β€œ.@Nus_Ghani is a friend and a credit to the Conservative Party. This is a very serious matter which needs a proper investigation. I would strongly support her in making a formal complaint - she must be heard”.

Whilst Dominic Raab told the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s Sunday Morning programme:

Well, first of all this is a very serious allegation, very serious claim and we take it very seriously. There can be no discrimination: Islamophobia or any other kind of discrimination in the Conservative Party. The Chief Whip has overnight made it clear the allegation is in relation to him, this is Mark Spencer, and he categorically has denied it in what can only be described as the most strenuous terms. What we would say, and I would say, is that if there is ever any complaint like this, particularly one as serious as this, a formal complaint should be made and it would then be investigated. This relates back to 2020 and all I would say, as a matter of fact, is that no formal complaint has been made but we take this incredibly seriously.

ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ News explained the programme was attempting to draw a distinction between the two cabinet ministers who had actively tweeted their support for Ms Ghani and others who either remained silent or, as in the case of Dominic Raab, only commented when questioned. However, the programme team accepted that the positions were nuanced and the distinctions might have been explained better. Β The ECU agreed it was possible to distinguish between Mr Zahawi and Mr Javid’s call for an investigation and Mr Raab’s suggestion that a formal complaint had to be made before any inquiry could begin, but thought it was plainly a comment on the matter from a member of the Cabinet, and very much to the same effect as the two tweets above. Β It was therefore not duly accurate for the programme to state the only such comments had come from ethnic minority ministers.
Upheld