Elham Asaad Buaras
A former Conservative councillor from Walsall has won a landmark discrimination case after a court ruled that his Muslim faith was “weaponised” against him during a bitter internal party dispute.
Mohammed Arif, a British Muslim of Pakistani heritage, successfully claimed he was subjected to unlawful direct discrimination and victimisation under the Equality Act 2010.
In a 150-page judgment handed down on April 2, the court found that Arif had been discriminated against or victimised in 13 separate respects by officers of the former Walsall Conservative Federation between 2015 and 2018. The ruling concluded that his Muslim identity played a central role in decisions surrounding his political career, including his selection as a local election candidate and his subsequent treatment within the party. It also found that he was victimised through his expulsion in 2016 and his re-expulsion in 2018 from both the local Federation and the Conservative Party.
Following the judgment, the Conservative Party confirmed that several individuals have been suspended pending an internal investigation.
His Honour Judge Tindal, sitting at Birmingham County Court, examined 22 allegations brought by Arif and grouped them into five main areas: his non-selection as a candidate for St Matthew’s Ward in 2015; further non-selection in 2016; disciplinary action and expulsion in 2016; the party’s handling of evidence during his successful national appeal; and his re-expulsion in 2018. The court upheld claims of discrimination and victimisation in several of these matters.
Parts of the conduct were described in the judgment as a “witch hunt” against Muslim members within the party. It also found that certain individuals, including Councillor Suky Samra, had specifically targeted Arif’s Muslim identity, particularly in relation to a dispute involving a Muslim cemetery campaign.
The Walsall Conservative Federation, which operated between 2014 and 2018, has since been dissolved. The proceedings continued against representative defendants, including Councillor Samra, John Baker and Brian Letts. A separate claim brought by Arif against the national Conservative Party was previously settled.
The legal battle began in 2019, when Arif launched proceedings against the Walsall Conservative Federation and the Conservative Party. A separate independent investigation in 2021 also examined the allegations, though it did not result in decisive action. The case went to trial at Birmingham County Court in late 2025.
Arif welcomed the ruling, saying it exposed what he described as the tolerance of Islamophobia within parts of the Conservative Party and the failure to act on repeated complaints over many years.
He said: “It has been a tough 10-year battle that has taken a heavy toll on both me and my family. This fight was not only for me but for all those in politics who have faced discrimination and victimisation.”
Arif added that the judgment demonstrated the importance of standing by one’s principles.
He said, “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.”
He called on Conservative Party headquarters to take stronger action against those responsible.
Arif said the case highlighted wider concerns among Muslims of Pakistani and British backgrounds about unfair treatment being overlooked within political structures.
He said: “It is now a matter of record that we raised these issues time and again, but despite three investigations organised by the central party, no concrete action was taken.”
He said, “This has been a long battle which no one else should ever have to go through again in any political party. The costs and strain on my health and wealth have been considerable over the last 10 years.”
Arif said he hoped the ruling would help expose bias faced by Muslims in politics and serve as a reference point for future cases.
He said: “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.”
Gordon Clough, Legal Director at Simons Muirhead Burton, who represented Arif, described the ruling as long overdue.
He said that although the case centred on events in the West Midlands, it also raised wider concerns about how complaints were handled by the national Conservative Party. Clough said Arif had repeatedly raised concerns with party headquarters, but felt they were largely ignored. He added that the court’s findings closely mirrored those of an earlier independent investigation in 2021. He said Arif had endured significant financial and emotional hardship in pursuing the case, and called on the party to take appropriate disciplinary action.
A further hearing to determine legal costs has been scheduled for May 8.
Feature photo: Mohammed Arif, former Conservative councillor from Walsall, who has won a landmark discrimination case after a court ruled his Muslim faith was “weaponised” against him during internal party disputes. (Credit X/CC)
