A former Conservative councillor from Walsall has won a landmark discrimination case after a court found his Muslim faith was “weaponised” against him during a bitter internal party dispute.
Mohammed Arif, a British Muslim of Pakistani heritage and a former Walsall councillor, successfully claimed he was subjected to unlawful direct discrimination and victimisation under the Equality Act 2010.
In a detailed 150-page judgment earlier this month, the court found Mr Arif had been discriminated against or victimised in 13 different respects by officers of the former Walsall Conservative Federation between 2015 and 2018.
The court found that Mr Arif’s Muslim faith had been “weaponised” against him in a decision not to select him as a local election candidate, and the Federation had victimised him in expelling and then re-expelling from both the Federation and the Conservative Party.
Following the judgment, the Conservative Party confirmed that a number of individuals have been suspended pending an internal investigation.
Key Findings
His Honour Judge Tindal, sitting in Birmingham County Court, grouped Arif’s 22 allegations into five main topics: non-approval as a candidate for St Matthews Ward in 2015; non-selection in 2016; the disciplinary process and expulsion in 2016; the party’s evidence during Arif’s successful national appeal; and his re-expulsion in 2018.
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The court found that Arif suffered discrimination and victimisation in relation to several of these matters.
The judgment noted that his Muslim identity was “weaponised” by individuals, including Councillor Suky Samra (one of the lead defendants representing the former federation officers), particularly in connection with a “Muslim cemetery” campaign.
It described aspects of the treatment as a “witch hunt” against Muslim party members.
The local Walsall Conservative Federation (active 2014–2018) has since dissolved, and the case proceeded against representative defendants, including Councillor Samra, Mr John Baker, and Mr Brian Letts.
Arif’s separate claim against the national Conservative and Unionist Party had settled earlier.
Reactions and next steps
Arif welcomed the ruling, stating it demonstrates that Islamophobia is “tolerated” within parts of the Conservative Party and that his complaints had been ignored for years.
He said: “It has been a tough 10-year battle that has been immensely difficult for me and my family, who have supported me all the way through the drawn-out legal proceedings. This fight was not for me alone but for all of the people in politics across all parties who have faced discrimination and victimisation.
“In politics, strong principles come at a price but this verdict proves that if you stand up and fight for your principles resolutely, you will attain justice in the end. I hope now the people at CCHQ will wake-up and take strong action against those who victimised and discriminated against me and others in Walsall.
“It is now a matter of record that we raised these issues time and again, but despite three investigations organised by the Central Party it has taken no concrete action. This proves the belief of many Muslims of Pakistani or British origin in the Conservative Party that Islamophobia and discrimination against Muslims is tolerated.”
He added: “This has been a long battle which no one else should ever have to go through again in any political party. The costs and the strains on my health and wealth have been considerable over the last 10 years.
“I took on this challenge to stop anyone, from any background, suffering the same fate in the future. More specifically: The tendency to vilify British Muslims, especially British Muslims in politics, many of whom have spent their entire careers making Britain a better place for all of us to live must be challenged.
“I hope this verdict will go some way towards shining a light on the discrimination and victimisation that Muslims in politics face in Britain today. I am grateful to Honourable Judge Jim Tindal for a verdict that has been framed in such a way that future generations will refer to this as case law and learn from it.”
Gordon Clough, Legal Director at Simons Muirhead Burton, led the team representing Mr Arif in this matter.
He said: “This vindication for my client is long overdue. Although the judgment focusses on events in the West Midlands, the bigger scandal is how Mr Arif was treated by the central Conservative Party.
“He consistently reported his unlawful treatment to CCHQ, only for his complaints to be largely swept under the carpet. The Judge’s findings very closely mirror those reached by an independent investigation into the same allegations in 2021, but the Party failed to take proper action.
“My client has needlessly faced the expense and emotional anguish of taking his claim to trial and it is now incumbent on the Party to finally take proper disciplinary action against those responsible.”
A further hearing to determine legal costs has been scheduled for May 8.
