A failure by Boris Johnson to allow an independent investigation into claims of Islamophobia in the Tory party would “stink of a cover-up”, Anas Sarwar has said.
The Scottish Labour leader, a Muslim MSP who led a Holyrood inquiry into Islamophobia in Scotland, said hate and prejudice were “rampant” in all parts of society.
He spoke as Johnson caved in to pressure from cabinet colleagues to launch a government inquiry into claims by Tory MP Nusrat Ghani that she was sacked as a minister because of colleagues’ concerns about her “Muslimness”.
Johnson became embroiled in the Islamophobia row at the beginning of a decisive week as he awaits the outcome of the Sue Gray investigation into covid rule-breaking parties at Downing Street.
Sarwar challenged the Prime Minister to allow the Equality and Human Rights Commission to investigate and implement any recommendations that they make.
Ghani revealed at the weekend that a Government whip told her she was being sacked as a transport minister in a 2020 reshuffle in part because her faith made colleagues “uncomfortable”.
She claims she was warned her career would be “destroyed” if she tried to complain.
The MP for Wealden in East Sussex said she raised the matter with Johnson directly after losing her job in a ministerial reshuffle.
He told her he could not get involved and said she should make a complaint through the Conservative party.
But after a weekend of torrid revelations the Prime Minister caved on Monday and said he is now taking Ghani’s allegations “extremely seriously” and has asked the Cabinet Office to “establish the facts”.
Johnson said: “We take these allegations very seriously and I’m very glad there is an investigation taking place now.”
Sarwar said nothing less than an independent inquiry “would stink of a cover-up.”
Drawing on Labour’s experience of dealing with claims of anti-Semitism, Sarwar added: “So there’s a direct challenge to the Conservative Party, if they are serious about written prejudice and hate in all these forms, then they should apply themselves to the exact same measure we apply ourselves to, which is to refer them to the Equality and Human Rights Commission for there be a full independent investigation for recommendations to be made and for those to be implemented.”
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