Zia Yusuf has been defended by housing secretary Robert Jenrick after a cabinet minister accused him of racism.
The accusation came from a fellow member of the cabinet, prompting Jenrick to publicly back Yusuf against the allegation.
The episode adds to a growing political row within government about how allegations of discrimination are handled.
Details of the minister’s claim and Yusuf’s response were not disclosed in this report, and there has been no official statement confirming further developments at the time of publication.
