A senior Conservative who sparked a row over a mass Muslim public prayer event will not be investigated for breaking House of Commons rules.
Nick Timothy has been informed he will not be probed by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards despite 30 MPs and peers calling for an investigation, the Daily Mail understands.
Kemi Badenoch stood by her shadow justice secretary after the Prime Minister on Wednesday called for the Tory leader to sack him over comments about the event in Trafalgar Square.
Meanwhile, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also rowed in behind Mr Timothy and called for a ban on all mass religious observances at historic British sites.
But the Government last night rejected calls for a ban on public prayer events as Attorney General Lord Hermer suggested the Tories are on a par with far-Right thug Tommy Robinson.
Mr Timothy sparked a row after he criticised a prayer event marking Iftar – the meal that breaks the Ramadan fast – in London’s Trafalgar Square on Monday, which was hosted by London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.
Mr Timothy described the event as ‘an act of domination’, adding: ‘Perform these rituals in mosques if you wish. But they are not welcome in our public places and shared institutions’.
Following his comments, 30 MPs and peers – including 22 Labour MPs – led by Afzal Khan referred him to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, which oversees the conduct of MPs.
Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy has been informed he will not be probed by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards despite 30 MPs and peers calling for an investigation
Kemi Badenoch stood by her shadow justice secretary after the Prime Minister on Wednesday called for the Tory leader to sack him over comments about the event in Trafalgar Square
In the letter Labour MP Mr Khan accused the shadow justice secretary of making ‘deeply Islamophobic remarks’ and using a ‘far-Right trope’.
The letter said: ‘This behaviour violates the House of Commons Code of Conduct and the Seven Principles of Public Life, in particular the principles of objectivity, honesty and leadership… I would therefore implore you to launch an investigation into his behaviour, as it is evident his rampant racism not only seeks to stoke the flames of division in our society, but risks bringing the entire House into disrepute.’
Mr Timothy accused Mr Khan of wanting to have him ‘investigated and silenced’. Friends of the Tory politician welcomed the news that he had no case to answer last night, with one telling the Daily Mail that it was ‘an absurd letter and the Commissioner was right to tell them where to go’.
The standards commissioner declined to comment but pointed to the public list of MPs currently under investigation for alleged breaches of the rules, which does not contain Mr Timothy.
Tory leader Ms Badenoch defended Mr Timothy’s comments last night, saying: ‘This is a country where we have freedom of religion but we also have freedom of speech and they can coexist.’
She told GB News: ‘For too long Conservatives were often afraid to scare the horses and were worried about making a fuss, letting things slide when the Labour Party was carrying out these attacks. Not under my leadership.’
Mr Farage said: ‘We have to stop this kind of mass demonstration, provocative demonstration, in historic British sites, because that’s what it is.’ Meanwhile, Lord Hermer told the Guardian that Ms Badenoch needed to clarify her views.
Mr Timothy sparked a row after he criticised a prayer event marking Iftar – the meal that breaks the Ramadan fast – in London ’s Trafalgar Square on Monday, which was hosted by London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan
He said: ‘The Conservative Party, like Reform and Tommy Robinson, is seeking to divide Britain. Instead, they should be celebrating our brilliantly welcoming and diverse country.’
And Downing Street said that Sir Keir Starmer would ‘absolutely not’ be banning open-air prayers in response to the row.
Sir Keir’s spokesman said: ‘The Prime Minister is clear that freedom of religion and the right to peaceful expression are core British values and should be respected, whether it is peaceful prayer, protest or assembly.’
He added: ‘British Muslims are a crucial part of British history and British life today, and making sure that everyone is safe on our streets and in our communities is one of our top priorities.’
