Sunak under pressure over Raab bullying claims

RISHI Sunak is under growing pressure to explain what he knew about the bullying allegations surrounding Dominic Raab before appointing him as Deputy Prime Minister.

Downing Street would only rule out the Prime Minister being aware of “formal complaints” as reports suggested he had been warned about his ally’s behaviour.

Mr Sunak was resisting demands from a civil servants’ union to suspend Mr Raab while under investigation, with dozens of officials believed to be behind eight formal complaints.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the PM of being “too weak” to act and asked whether he was “the only person completely unaware” of the allegations.

At a combative Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Sunak insisted he had appointed lawyer Adam Tolley KC to investigate when he learned of “formal complaints”.

But reports have suggested that Mr Sunak was warned about Mr Raab’s conduct before appointing him as his deputy and Justice Secretary.

No 10 did not deny the Prime Minister had been made aware of “informal complaints”, pointedly sticking to Mr Sunak’s own wording.

His press secretary said: “The PM was not aware of any formal complaints at the time of appointing Dominic Raab.”

Pressed further, she said: “I don’t know what your definition of informal complaints is. The PET (propriety and ethics team in the Cabinet Office) processes are very clear.

“The appointments and usual processes were followed and we were not aware of any formal complaints.”

Three permanent secretaries who led officials working under Mr Raab at the Foreign Office, Ministry of Justice and Brexit department are thought to have spoken to the inquiry.

Sir Keir accused the Conservatives of having an “addiction to sleaze and scandal” as Mr Sunak’s party also grapples with allegations surrounding Boris Johnson and Nadhim Zahawi.