By Ben Kerrigan-
Deputy prime minister and justice secretary, Dominic Raab, has written a letter to Rishi Sunak asking for an independent investigation into the complaints, one regarding his time as foreign secretary and another while he was justice secretary under Boris Johnson.
The troubling allegations come barely a week after former Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, resigned in the face of bullying allegations. Insiders say bullying complaints against ministers is not uncommon, but not all come to the fore for different reasons. Raab has denied the allegations.
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“I look forward to addressing these complaints, and continuing to serve as deputy prime minister, justice secretary, and Lord Chancellor,” he tweeted, before he took questions from Mps over the bullying allegations.
Raab told Mps he is confident he has behaved professionally, and it is right that he be investigated.
Mr Raab released the letter just hours before he faced MPs at Prime Minister’s Questions, which he was taking on behalf of Mr Sunak, who is in Bali for the G20 summit.
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Over the past week, Mr Raab has faced bullying allegations in the media, including throwing tomatoes at staff, being rude to staff and being warned about his behaviour.
He added he would “co-operate fully” with any inquiry into his conduct. Mr Raab said the complaints related to his time as justice secretary and foreign secretary under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
He added he had “never tolerated bullying” and had “always sought to reinforce and empower” civil servants
Several ministers in Rishi Sunak’s government ‘have bullied civil servants’, says FDA union chair Dave Penman. During PMQs, Mr Raab was asked by Labour MP Clive Betts if the PM should ensure no minister who has a complaint of bullying upheld against them should continue to serve in government.
The deputy PM said: “I am confident that I have behaved professionally throughout, but immediately I heard that two complaints had been made, I believe they were made yesterday, I was notified this morning.
“I immediately asked the prime minister to set up an independent investigation. And of course, I will comply with the investigation fully.”
In his letter to Mr Sunak, the deputy PM said he had “just been notified that two separate complaints have formally been made against me”.
He did not say what the complaints were about and who had made them.
However, Sunak requested an investigation into the complaints “as soon as possible” and said he will “cooperate fully and respect whatever outcome you decide”.
He added: “I have always sought to set high standards, and forge teams that can deliver for the British people amidst the acute challenges that we have faced in recent years.
“I have never tolerated bullying, and always sought to reinforce and empower the teams of civil servants working in my respective departments.”
“Integrity, professionalism and accountability are core values of this government. It is right that these matters are investigated fully,” he said.
It is not known who will head up the investigation into Mr Raab as there is currently no ethics adviser after Lord Geidt quit in June.
Mr Sunak’s official spokesman said yesterday the PM is “committed” to installing a replacement and the “process is ongoing to appoint a new adviser”.
Several Allegations
The chair of the FDA civil servants union, Dave Penman, told Sky News on Tuesday there were allegations against several other current ministers but staff are not making official complaints as the system does not support them.
Labour’s Lisa Nandy, who was shadow foreign secretary while Mr Raab was foreign secretary, told Sky News it was an “open secret” bullying was going on in his office. Mr Raab’s spokesman denied the allegations.
The results, which have been leaked to ITV news, also show that 15 people reported seeing someone else being bullied or treated unfairly.
The survey was of just 20 people – as the private office was quite small and seven did not respond – but the figures represent 40% reporting personal experience of bullying and harassment and 75% witnessing it.
The results are anonymous and so do not say who is being accused of bullying others within the team.
Some of the staff bullied were reported to have been so upset that they were in tears. Tensions deteriorated to high lows that the department’s permanent secretary, Antonia Romeo, warned Mr Raab to be professional, it was also revealed.
Others have since come forward to me to claim he was guilty of similar behaviour in previous roles.
“There were serious concerns about his behaviour towards private office staff when he was Brexit secretary in 2018,” one senior Whitehall source told me on Friday.
Nothing was ever done about multiple complaints made, according to some of those who have anonymously spoken to reporters.
A spokesperson for Mr. Raab said: “Dominic has high standards, works hard, and expects a lot from his team as well as himself. He has worked well with officials to drive the government’s agenda across Whitehall in multiple government departments and always acts with the utmost professionalism,” they said.
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