My name is Shahmir Sanni and along with Christopher Wylie and Mark Gettleson I have blown the whistle on how the Vote Leave campaign may have broken the law by breaching election rules.

How No. 10 outed me as being gay

Before the information I wanted to share reached the public domain the Prime Minister's office issued a statement which revealed my sexuality. That statement was sent by No. 10 to the media. What followed was one of the most awful weekends in my life. No. 10 had outed me as being gay.

I’m taking legal action to hold the Prime Minister’s office to account for the vindictive public statement that turned my world upside down. I won't let them silence me. And I can’t do this alone. Please contribute to my legal fund and share this page on social media to send a message that those who choose to speak out will not be intimidated or silenced.

One of the most heartbreaking aspects of all of this is that my family didn’t know I was gay and No. 10 robbed me of my chance to have that conversation on my terms. My family are Muslim and of Pakistani origin. I was forced to come out to them immediately in case they found out first through the media. My sexuality was suddenly a news story - a story which had come from No 10. Not only did I have to radically accelerate the emotionally complex process of coming out to my parents but, such is the religious and political environment in Pakistan, the Prime Minister’s office had placed my parents and family in very immediate, real danger.

Why I spoke out

I spoke out to the public and reported Vote Leave’s potential criminal offences to the authorities because I believed it was the right thing to do. I believe the public has a right to know what happened in the Brexit referendum and we all have a right to know whether Vote Leave’s campaign was lawful. I knew it was going to be hard, but nothing prepared me for how devastating this has been.

Getting fired because I spoke out

Last week things got worse when my former employer, Tax Payers’ Alliance, dismissed me. One of the reasons they gave was that I had spoken out to the media about the Vote Leave issues. I have now lost my job and paid a very heavy price for speaking out about wrongdoing.

Why I need your help

Being outed and then fired appears to show a pattern of vindictive behaviour in direct retaliation to my desire to get the truth out about the Brexit referendum vote. A concerted effort to show other whistleblowers that speaking out simply isn’t worth it. It’s for actions like this that whistleblower protections exist. I don’t think anyone is above the law, including 10 Downing Street. And now I need your help.

I need to raise money to bring a legal claim against No. 10 Downing Street and my former employer, Tax Payers’ Alliance. I can't do this alone. Please pledge and share today to hold them accountable and help make sure that whistleblowers aren't silenced.