Ranting Raab ‘hurled tomatoes’

DEPUTY Prime Minister Dominic Raab was last night facing a series of claims that he mistreated civil servants amid reports he angrily threw tomatoes and has been nicknamed ‘The Incinerator’.

It follows claims that Ministry of Justice staff were offered a ‘route out’ of the department when Mr Raab was reinstated as Justice Secretary amid apparent concerns over his past behaviour in the role.

Mr Raab is alleged to have presided over a ‘culture of fear’ during his previous stint there, with anonymous civil servants claiming he acted in a ‘demeaning’, ‘rude’ and ‘aggressive’ manner, with one branding him a ‘bully’.

On one occasion, he is said to have hurled tomatoes from a Pret a Manger salad across a table in a fit of pique because he ‘wasn’t happy with the way he was being briefed’. Mr Raab has also reportedly earned himself ‘The Incinerator’ tag because he ‘burns through’ staff so quickly. A spokesman for the Deputy PM dismissed the allegations as ‘complete nonsense’ and said he ‘always acts with the utmost professionalism’.

Last night more accusations about Mr Raab’s behaviour emerged dating back to his time as Brexit Secretary in 2018.

A ‘formal expression of concern’ was sent to the Cabinet Office about his conduct but no further action was taken, according to The Observer. However fellow Tories rode to Mr Raab’s defence, with MP Helen Grant saying she had witnessed a ‘very decent’ Minister with ‘high professional standards’ when working with him when he was Foreign Secretary.

Tory MP Eddie Hughes also said he had never seen Mr Raab be rude to anyone during his time in the housing or Brexit departments, adding: ‘He’s very hard-working and expects others to be too.’