31 January 2023 , 22:00
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Civil servants claim they suffered breakdowns and felt suicidal over Dominic Raab’s alleged bullying.
And staff insist working with the Tory felt like being in a “controlling and abusive relationship”.
Witnesses also claim the Deputy PM would switch his anger on and off depending on whether it was civil servants or ministers in the room.
Mr Raab is being probed over eight formal complaints involving at least 24 staff.
Witnesses allege he would set endless rules which were impossible to keep to and then “belittle, demean and humiliate” them when they failed to deliver.
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It is claimed he would show “anger and rage” as he told staff “you are no good”.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Getty Images)A source said: “He would then be very different with everybody else. He changes his behaviour depending on whether you are a civil servant he has control over or another government minister.”
Some officials claimed they lost weight, had breakdowns or felt like ending their lives after feeling trapped.
Rishi Sunak has allowed Mr Raab to remain in post while the investigation into his behaviour is conducted by Adam Tolley KC. It is expected to take weeks or even months to conclude.
It centres on when he was Foreign Secretary, Brexit Secretary and his first stint as Justice Secretary.
Former Home Secretary Priti Patel (PRU/AFP via Getty Images)In November 2020, a probe found then-Home Secretary Priti Patel had broken the ministerial code by bullying staff but Boris Johnson refused to sack her. Civil servants said they felt a “helplessness” after that decision.
Mr Raab’s spokesman last night refused to comment. He has previously said he “looks forward to answering the allegations made of him directly”.
Mr Raab insisted last week: “I’m confident I behaved professionally, and of course the Government takes a zero-tolerance approach to bullying.”
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss (SIMON DAWSON/No10/UNPIXS)He was sacked as Justice Secretary and Deputy PM by Liz Truss when she took office in September. But he was reappointed to both roles after Mr Sunak became Prime Minister.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said: “These allegations make very difficult reading. Each new allegation against the Deputy Prime Minister begs yet more questions of Rishi Sunak’s judgment.”
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Jacob Rees-Mogg today provoked fury by suggesting officials are being “too snowflakey” about bullying claims.
Angela Rayner, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party (Getty Images)FDA union Dave Penman, who represents civil servants, said: “Even by his standards this is outrageous.
“Trivialising bullying that we know has ruined lives and careers.”
Mr Sunak will mark 100 days as PM tomorrow after promising to lead with “integrity, professionalism and accountability”. But he had to sack Nadhim Zahawi over his tax cover-up and lost Gavin Williamson as a minister over bullying claims.
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