No 10’s senior adviser of ethnic minorities considered resigning over fears the Conservative Party was pursuing “politics steeped in division” and claimed that tensions in government were “unbearable”.
In a letter to the prime minister, Samuel Kasumu also suggested that Kemi Badenoch, the equalities minister, may have broken the ministerial code last week over her public outburst at a reporter she accused of being “creepy and bizarre”.
According to the BBC, the leaked resignation letter, however, was retracted by Mr Kasumu on Thursday evening after the special adviser held a discussion with Nadhim Zahawi, the minister responsible for the Covid vaccine rollout.
In his correspondence to Boris Johnson, Mr Kasumu wrote: “It is well documented that black and Asian people are significantly less likely to vote Conservative, despite often having values that are aligned. The gains made under David Cameron in 2015 have been eroded in subsequent elections.
“Though we now have a coalition of voters to provide us with a much coveted majority, I fear for what may become of the party in the future by choosing to pursue a politics steeped in division.”
He said “the damage that is often caused by our actions is not much considered”, adding: “As someone that has spent his whole adult life serving others, that tension has been at times unbearable.”
In his letter, Mr Kasumu did not name the equalities minister Ms Badenoch directly, but said: “Last week, the actions of a minister were concerning. I believe the ministerial code was breached.
“However, more concerning than the act, was the lack of response internally. It was not OK or justifiable, but somehow nothing was said. I waited, and waited, for something from the senior leadership team to even point to an expected standard, but it did not materialise.”
Earlier this week, Downing Street defended Ms Badenoch after she launched an online tirade against Huffington Post journalist Nadine White. The reporter had sent her office private correspondence questioning why the minister had not appeared in an official video showing MPs of all political stripes encouraging people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds to have the Covid vaccine.
In a highly unusual departure from normal procedures, instead of responding to the press query, the minister posted a series of tweets publicly attacking the journalist, claiming it was “creepy and bizarre to fixate on who didn’t participate in a video and demand they explain themselves”.
Ms Badenoch added the questions were a “sad insight into how some journalists operate” and accused HuffPost of attempting to sow distrust. Her actions were condemned by the National Union of Journalists and the publication said Ms White was forced to make her Twitter account private as she was receiving so much abuse.
In response to the leaked letter from Mr Kasumu, a Downing Street spokesperson told The Independent: “It would not be appropriate to comment on individual staff members.
“The government is committed to inclusion and bringing communities together and is the most ethnically diverse in this country’s history. Last year we established a Commission on Race and Ethnic disparities to examine and tackle inequality and discrimination wherever it is found. It is due to report shortly.”
