Raab ‘confident’ in face of complaints
DOMINIC Raab has said he is “confident” he has behaved “professionally”, as the deputy prime minister faces an investigation into two formal complaints against him.
The Justice Secretary confirmed yesterday that two separate complaints had been made about his conduct, as the Prime Minister agreed to open an independent investigation into the allegations.
Rishi Sunak still has full confidence in Mr Raab, Downing Street said, with the prime minister set to appoint an “independent” investigator to examine the complaints made against Mr Raab, in the absence of a permanent ministerial ethics watchdog.
But a Downing Street spokeswoman said Mr Sunak will not be obliged to accept the findings of any report produced by the investigator, as the Prime Minister remains the “ultimate arbiter” of the ministerial code.
The lack of an ethics adviser had raised immediate questions about how an independent investigation into Mr Raab’s conduct would be carried out, with the Justice Secretary pressed by Labour’s Angela Rayner at Prime Minister’s Questions about when such an official would be appointed.
Mr Raab, standing in at Prime Minister’s Questions for Mr Sunak, who is flying back from the G20 summit in Bali, faced an onslaught of questions from Labour’s deputy leader as he said he was looking forward to “transparently addressing any claims that have been made”.
Mr Raab has been facing a series of allegations he bullied officials and deployed rude and demeaning behaviour in previous Cabinet roles.
In a letter to Mr Raab yesterday, Mr Sunak 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”.
But Labour rounded on the absent prime minister in the Commons, with Ms Rayner telling MPs that Mr Raab “has had to demand an investigation into himself, because the prime minister is too weak to get a grip.
“The deputy prime minister knows his behaviour is unacceptable, so what is he still doing here?”
Ms Rayner 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 anti-bullying week. Will he apologise?”
Mr Raab said: “She asks about the complaints. I received notification this morning. I immediately asked the Prime Minister to set up an independent inquiry into them.
“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.”
In his letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Raab, Conservative MP for Esher and Walton, told the PM he had “never tolerated bullying, and always sought to reinforce and empower the teams of civil servants working in my respective departments”.