1 in 6 bullied under May’s Home Office PM blasted as ‘damning epidemic’ shames civil service
SUNDAY MIRROR
THERESA May oversaw a culture of discrimination, bullying and harassment at the Home Office, according to figures unearthed by Labour.
One in six civil servants said they were bullied or harassed during Prime Minister Mrs May’s final year as Home Secretary.
And nearly one in five complained of discrimination. Labour’s Shadow Equalities Minister Paula Sherriff, who revealed the statistics, said: “These shocking figures are a damning verdict on Theresa May’s record as Home Secretary.
“Her job was to tackle hate crime and harassment but instead she oversaw an epidemic of discrimination and bullying in her own department.
“She promised to stand up for the vulner- able but couldn’t even protect her own junior staff.” The figures – the worst across the entire Government – were released in the 2016 Civil Service People Survey. Immigration and the Border Force staff had the most complaints. A quarter of Border Force staff told of bullying, harassment or discrimination. But just one in three made a formal complaint and only 11 per cent of those said the gripe had been resolved. Mark Serwotka , general secretary of civil service union PCS, said: “We repeatedly raised the issue of bullying and discrimination on Theresa May’s watch, particularly in the Border Force where staff have been under intolerable strain as a result of Tory cuts. Ministers must act on these shocking findings.”
Just 36 per cent of civil servants said the Home Office is well managed.
The findings also showed the department had one of the biggest pay gaps between ordinary staff and managers.
Shadow Business Secretary Clive Lewis said: “The PM promised to take on fat cats but she isn’t cracking down, she’s backing down. Now we know she let top pay run away while frontline workers were left behind. If this is how she ran one department, how will she run the country?”
The news comes amid a reported rift between Mrs May’s team and mandarins.
One civil servant said: “There is a revolt because of what they are hearing from inside. They are reflecting the concerns at the general behaviour of Mrs May’s team, coupled with the general desire to blame the civil service for everything.”
The Home Office did not comment.