Raab will face investigation into claims he bullied officials
Deputy PM reveals two formal complaints made against him but insists he behaved ‘professionally’
ALLEGATIONS about Dominic Raab’s conduct will be examined by an independent investigator, Downing Street has announced.
The Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister disclosed yesterday that two separate formal complaints had been made about him, but said he was “confident” that he had behaved “professionally” at all times.
Mr Raab has become embroiled in a series of allegations of bullying in recent days, relating to his behaviour towards officials.
Yesterday morning, he wrote to the Prime Minister asking him to launch an “independent investigation” into the claims “as soon as possible”.
Mr Sunak then told his deputy that “integrity, professionalism and accountability are core values of this government” and said that an investigation was the “right course of action”.
No10 confirmed the Prime Minister would appoint an independent investigator to conduct the inquiry, supported by civil servants from the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team.
The investigator, who will not be an existing member of the Government or civil service, will report back to Mr Sunak. But even if the investigation concludes Mr Raab has breached the ministerial code, Mr Sunak is under no obligation to sack his deputy.
Downing Street said the Prime Minister
remains the “ultimate arbiter” of the ministerial code, and as such can decide whether or not he wants to act on the investigation’s findings.
The decision to appoint a special investigator to look into the complaints was taken because Mr Sunak has not yet appointed an ethics adviser who would normally be consulted on whether a breach of the code had taken place.
Over the past few days there have been a series of claims about Mr Raab’s conduct, including accusations from a former mandarin that Foreign Office staff were “scared” to enter his office.
Civil servants in the Ministry of Justice were reportedly offered “routes” out of the department after Mr Raab was reappointed there.
In his letter to Mr Sunak, Mr Raab said the two formal complaints related to his time as foreign secretary and his previous stint as justice secretary.
Standing in at Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday for Mr Sunak, Mr Raab faced an onslaught of questions from Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader.
She told the Commons: “After days of dodging and denial, this morning the Deputy Prime Minister finally acknowledged formal complaints about his misconduct, but his letter contains no hint of admission or apology. This is antibullying week. Will he apologise?”
Mr Raab replied: “I’m confident I behaved professionally throughout but of course I will engage thoroughly and look forward to transparently addressing any claims that have been made.”
Asked whether the row involving Mr Raab risked becoming a “distraction”, James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, said the Government was “absolutely focused” on both the war in Ukraine and longer term “issues that governments should be focused on”.