CCHQ will be relieved that the findings of the the long-expected independent investigation into alleged discrimination within the party. A number of key findings rejected critic charges and found in favour of the party on an institutional basis:

• No evidence that complaints related to Islam are treated differently from those related to other forms of discrimination.
• No evidence of attempts to pressure or interfere with the handling of individual complaints.
• No evidence to back up Baroness Warsi’s claims of “institutional racism” within the party.

The report also says the Muslim Council of Britain, who questioned the impartiality of the investigation chair, failed to provide evidence despite being asked on multiple occasions.

The report does recommend points of improvement for the party, not least “clear evidence of a Party complaints system in need of overhaul”, with claims the party’s Complaints Team is under-resourced and inadequately trained. It also points to:

• A lack of transparency in the complains process
• No time frames for resolution
• Social media rules aren’t widely known or angered to
• 1,418 complains between 2015 and 2020, concerning 727 incidents of alleged discrimination.
  • Two thirds of which related to allegations of anti-Muslim discrimination.

The most substantive criticism is of weak local party association systems for identifying discrimination, rather than at national level at CCHQ.

Hacks will no doubt focus on the section relating to Boris’s “letterboxes” column. The PM repeated his usual excuse of having written “millions of words as a journalist” and some things had been taken out of context, however he does say sorry:

“I am obviously sorry for any offence taken. Would I use some of the offending language from my past writings today? Now that I am PM, I would not.”

The report also notes that comments such as those by the PM, and Zac Goldsmith’s mayoral campaign, “give the impression to many that the Party and its leadership are insensitive to Muslim communities”. The report’s author, Professor Swaran Singh, says crucially: “I’m not saying that the party leadership IS insensitive to Muslim communities. I’m saying that the perception is very strong.” CCHQ says they’re considering the report and will respond later today, though the PM indicated to the chair he will implement many of the inquiry’s findings…

UPDATE: Guido learns a CCHQ meeting of all affiliate groups just took place. The party is now asking for feedback on the complaints process. The party were keen to highlight how “it’s good the report showed there was no political interference”

CCHQ has concluded its investigation into MP Rob Roberts’s inappropriate texts to a young female researcher, without talking to the girl involved. A story by Politico this evening reveals Rob Roberts has been telling constituents the investigation concluded three weeks ago – something CCHQ now confirms. However Guido can reveal the young woman at the centre of the scandal has not once been contacted by the party throughout their investigation of the incident, and wasn’t informed about the investigation’s conclusion. Guido imagines this investigation will raise more questions than it answers…

The girl who received Robers’ messages – including asking for “fun times” and whether she wants “to fool around with no strings” – tells Guido:

“keeping him within the party and giving such a minimal punishment is endorsing individuals in power to conduct sexual harassment/assault.”

“He should have had the whip removed, it’s not one incident but multiple and he’s a threat to our safety.”

“He’s gotten away with it, and that’s not acceptable”

Pushed over the question of whether she’s had any contact with the party since Guido broke the story, she tells Guido:

“No statement, nothing from my side apart from what you reported”

CCHQ says:

“The investigation into Rob Roberts has concluded.

“Rob Roberts conduct was found to be unacceptable under the Party’s Code of Conduct and he has been strongly rebuked.

“Mr Roberts has apologised for his behaviour and was instructed to undertake safeguarding and social media protection training.”

Guido knows Parliament’s Standards Commission is on the cusp of reporting on the more serious allegation against Roberts. CCHQ’s decision to give Roberts a mere slap on the wrists is short-sighted at best…

UPDATE: CCHQ say if the girl in question wants “to come forward to our official complaints process we would of course look into the matter” and they “take all allegations incredibly seriously”

The budget may have been a net-win for North East yesterday, with two free ports and Darlington announced as a new Treasury northern campus. London-based CCHQ has managed to slightly undermine the Tories’ new pro-northern heartland messaging, uploading a graphic to celebrate the northern Treasury move accompanied with a photograph of York pub The Waterfront.

Maybe getting CCHQ’s Leeds hub up and running should be the Tories’ priority…

UPDATE: CCHQ say the photo of York was tagged as Darlington on Pixabay

Conservative Campaign HQ has taken the unprecedented step of banning activists from physical campaigning in the next election after Guido confirmed the government completely intends on the May elections to go ahead. A digital leaflet being sent out today tells leafleting-obsessives that there should be no hand delivery and no door-to-door canvassing this year; instead saying mail delivery, telephoning and social media must be used instead. CCHQ becomes CHQ…

While Guido has contacted Labour and the LibDems to ensure they’ll also follow the lockdown guidance and make sure the elections occur on an equal footing, he isn’t confident. He caught Labour activists breaking the rules to campaign to Sadiq in November and has seen evidence of the LibDems continuing to flyer Tier 4 areas over December.

According to a recent email from LibDem Councillor Martin Tod, “delivering leaflets is permissible in Tier 4 as a legal voluntary activity”. The governing party disagrees…

A finalised list of Conservative Party chairmen and vice-chairs sees former MEP and Board of Trade member Dan Hannan appointed as the party’s new “international ambassador”. A new “Vice Chairman for Thinktank relations” role has also been created and given to the recently-appointed policy board chief Neil O’Brien. An interesting choice given O’Brien spent the morning oddly trawling back through old Tweets of the IEA’s Christopher Snowdon on the likelihood of a vaccine, seemingly to gloat…

While many of the positions had been public before, as detailed in his list of PPSs and Vice-Chairs, the new official list seen by Guido finally gives official job titles to the roles:

• Lee Rowley, Deputy Chairman – assisting the Co-Chairman with Blue Wall Engagement
• Nickie Aiken – Vice Chairman for Women and Affiliate Groups
• Andrew Bowie – Vice Chairman for Youth Engagement and Northern Ireland
• Sir David Evennett – Vice Chairman for Business Engagement
• Caroline Johnson – Vice Chairman for Disabilities
• Alan Mak, Vice Chairman for Backbencher policy
• Neil O’Brien, Vice Chairman for Thinktank Relations/Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party Policy Board
• Dan Hannan, International Ambassador
• Peter Gibson, PPS to the Party Co-Chairman

Tory donors can breathe a sigh of relief over the long list though – the roles’ generation pay packets were recently abolished…

The chairman of Rob Roberts’s Delyn constituency Conservative Association unexpectedly resigned last month after continued stress and embarrassment over the MP’s numerous misdemeanours, Guido can reveal. Speaking to Guido for the first time since leaving his elected role, Rob’s former local party boss, Myles Power, reveals he has also quit his membership of the Conservative Party entirely due to his perceived lack of response and communication from CCHQ over the scandals. The party’s Rob Roberts headaches don’t show any sign of relenting soon…

Despite staying quiet while carrying out the chairman role, Power claims Tory HQ “just never really dealt with the matter in a speedy fashion” and that despite emailing the party asking to be kept up-to-date with their internal investigation of Roberts, all he received was a holding response and nothing more. Responding to this claim, a Conservative Party spokesman said: “CCHQ takes all complaints incredibly seriously ensuring that thorough investigations are carried out. The investigation process is rightly private and confidential to protect those involved.”

Speaking candidly to Guido, Myles explains that along with the embarrassment Rob brought on the party, he also became “arrogant and above reproach” after being elected; and following the BBC picking up on Guido’s coverage, Rob refused to broach an apology – merely jokingly texting his chairman “your inbox will be full”. Despite only being elected to the position alongside Roberts in September 2019, Power decided over the Summer that he’d had enough, his feelings compounded as texts flooded in from friends and local Tory officials in other constituencies regarding Rob Robert’s activities. Asked why he remained quiet at the time of the stories’ publications, Myles explained he had to remain neutral as the branch chairman, pithily pointing out: “I respected the position I was elected to and so should Rob”…