Inquiry into claims minister was sacked because of her 'Muslimness' won't publish terms of reference

• Cabinet Office is not planning to publish terms of reference for its Islamophobia inquiry.
• Boris Johnson's independent advisor on ministers' interests may not play a role in the inquiry.

An investigation into whether a Muslim MP was told she had been sacked from a ministerial role because of her faith has no special terms of reference or publicly-named individual responsible for the inquiry.

Nus Ghani, a Conservative MP, claims a government whip said her "Muslimness was raised as an issue"at a Downing Street meeting regarding a reshuffle in early 2020, when she lost her job as a junior transport minister. Ghani, who first made the claims to the Sunday Times, says she was also told her "Muslim woman minister status was making colleagues feel uncomfortable".

Mark Spencer, the current chief whip, later identified himself as the government whip accused of making the comments, but also said such accusations were "completely false" and "defamatory".

Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered an inquiry to be conducted by the Cabinet Office on January 24.

In a statement issued that day, Ghani said she was looking forward to seeing the terms of reference, which must include "all that was said in Downing Street and by the whip".

Terms of reference were published for the Sue Gray inquiry into lockdown-breaching parties in Downing Street and across government.

But the Cabinet Office will not be publishing any terms of reference, Insider has learned.

Instead, the inquiry is being held under the generic terms of a breach of the ministerial code.

Johnson's independent adviser on ministers' interests, Lord Geidt, may not even play a role in the inquiry, with the final findings and decision on any action to take going to Johnson.

As an investigation into a potential breach of the ministerial code, it may not examine comments alleged to have been made by non-ministers in Downing Street. Ghani had previously said she does not "even know if the words that were conveyed to me about what was said in reshuffle meetings at Downing Street were by members of the Conservative Party".

Johnson previously told Ghani she should use internal party processes, something she refused to do on the same basis, and on the grounds it was a matter of government business.

Geidt has asked for further powers and support in his own investigations, but he is not believed to currently be playing a role in the inquiry into Ghani's claims. Under the current terms of reference for Geidt, he cannot open inquiries on his own accord but must ask the Prime Minister to do so.

It is likely the work of the inquiry is being carried out by officials in the Cabinet Office's Propriety and Ethics team, the same officials that worked on the Gray inquiry.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson told Insider: "At the request of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet Office will investigate the facts of this case. The independent adviser will be available to provide advice as required."

Labour's deputy leader, Angela Rayner, has written to the Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case, seeking clarity on the terms of the investigation, its expected timeline and any chair or lead, and asking if the full findings of the investigation will be published once concluded.

Rayner says she asked Geidt to investigate, but he said the Cabinet Office was conducting its own investigation.

Rayner says a civil service investigation into "allegations of racism at ministerial level in government" is "unprecendented territory" that necessitates transparency on the conduct of the inquiry.

Ghani has been contacted for comment.