Priti Patel aide ‘took overdose after claims she’d been bullied’
Woman ‘tried to kill herself before filing complaint about minister’s behaviour’
A FORMER aide to Priti Patel accused the then employment minister of bullying and harassing her after taking an overdose, it was alleged last night.
The woman received a £25,000 payout from the Government after allegedly filing a formal complaint against Miss Patel when she was dismissed from her role.
However, the BBC said it had seen legal correspondence alleging that the woman took an overdose of prescription medicine following the alleged incident in 2015.
Ultimately, the Department for Work and Pensions did not admit liability and the case did not come before a tribunal. The twist came as the Prime Minister announced an inquiry to ‘establish the facts’ about bullying allegations relating to Miss Patel in her current role as Home Secretary. The inquiry will examine whether she has breached the ministerial code following claims that she mistreated staff.
Announcing the probe yesterday, Michael Gove said she denied the claims and was a ‘superb minister doing a great job’.
Boris Johnson has already offered his support, describing her as a ‘fantastic home secretary’ after her top official Sir Philip Rutnam resigned from his role after accusing her of belittling staff.
Tory MPs have also rallied to her defence, comparing her to Margaret Thatcher and accusing her opponents of ‘smears and sexism’.
Last night’s fresh allegations however, threaten to overshadow their support. According to the BBC, a former aide to Miss Patel attempted suicide after making a formal complaint about her while they worked at the Department for Work and Pensions.
The BBC said it had seen the staff member’s grievance letter alleging that she had previously attempted to kill herself after reporting similar allegations of workplace bullying concerning another individual in 2014 – before
Miss Patel was a minister. She also alleged she was told the decision to dismiss her a year later was not based on her performance but because Miss Patel did not ‘like [her] face’, according to comments attributed to her line manager and a colleague.
On that day in October 2015, Miss Patel had shouted at the woman in her private office and told her to ‘get lost’ and ‘get out of her face’, the correspondence was said to have alleged.
Miss Patel was described as having acted ‘without warning’ and with an ‘ unprovoked level of aggression’, in the woman’s formal grievance complaint. Shortly after, the staff member allegedly took an overdose of prescription medication in the office and lay with her head on the desk for some time.
She was then said to have become unresponsive and her partner was called by a colleague to collect her as she was unable to walk.
The woman then took a further overdose at home in what was apparently described as an attempt to kill herself and was rushed to hospital where she apparently spent the night in resuscitation.
A settlement was reached in 2017 for £25,000 after the member of staff threatened to bring a legal claim of bullying, harassment and discrimination on the grounds of race and disability against the department, including Miss Patel who is directly named, the BBC reported.
Last night, a source close to Miss Patel said: ‘The Home Secretary rejects all the allegations that have been made against her.’
A Government spokesman said they would not comment ‘on individual personnel matters’.
‘Unprovoked level of aggression’