A ‘bully’ in charge threatens our safety

So Adam Afriyie has dutifully followed his leader’s orders in defending Priti Patel.

It is clear from Sir Alex Allen’s heavily sanitised executive summary report – the PM continues to refuse to release any details – that the Home Secretary broke the ministerial code (and not for the first time).

In the last few days, we’ve since learned that Sir Alex was heavily leaned on by the PM in producing his summary, that multiple complaints were made about Priti Patel in three separate departments and that Sir Philip Rutnam – who had resigned over her bullying yet who Sir Alex was not even allowed to interview – had warned the Home Secretary over her behaviour numerous times.

Anyone who has been the victim of bullying knows how corrosive and damaging it can be.

But the damage goes beyond the mental health of a few civil servants.

The Home Office relies on open, full and frank exchange of views and facts between civil servants and the Secretary of State to keep us all safe; a toxic relationship threatens this.

Bluntly, having a bully in charge threatens our safety.

The PM’s failure to sack such a toxic individual from government now threatens not just the Home Office and its work but, by normalizing bullying, threatens the work culture of Government across all depar tments.

It appears that the PM wants to surround himself not with those who are competent but with sycophants and flatterers.

Perhaps that’s why Adam Afriyie tweeted the way he did?

JULIAN TISI Windsor Liberal Democrats