Rishi agonises over Raab as bullying report 'not clear cut'

Rishi agonises over Raab as bullying report ‘not clear cut’: Findings of probe run to dozens of pages ‘without reaching a clear conclusion’ as Sunak ponders over future of Deputy PM

• Downing Street believed to have received bullying report at around 9am
• Prime Minister was expected to make swift decision but report was not clear cut

Rishi Sunak was agonising over whether to sack Dominic Raab tonight after receiving a long-awaited report into allegations of bullying.

A Whitehall source said the decision on the fate of the Deputy Prime Minister was ‘not straightforward’ following a report into his conduct by lawyer Adam Tolley.

Downing Street is thought to have received the report at around 9am and the Prime Minister had been expected to make a swift decision.

But a source said Mr Tolley’s findings ran to dozens of pages without reaching a clear conclusion.

Mr Sunak was tonight consulting senior advisers on whether to keep faith with his deputy or fire him and trigger a reshuffle.

Rishi Sunak was agonising over whether to sack Dominic Raab last night after receiving a long-awaited report into allegations of bullying

Mr Raab has read the report and does not consider it a resigning issue, leaving the PM to decide his fate 

Cabinet Secretary Simon Case and the PM’s ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus are among those thought to be providing advice.

‘It is not a straightforward decision,’ said one source. ‘The Prime Minister is taking the time to go through this properly.’

Mr Raab has read the report and does not consider it a resigning issue, leaving the PM to decide his fate.

He had pledged to quit if Mr Tolley’s investigation upheld the claims against him. Sources said he did not discuss the findings of the report with the Prime Minister today.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner accused Mr Sunak of ‘dither and delay’, but a No 10 source said the PM was ‘taking time to go through the report thoroughly’.

The Deputy Prime Minister is facing a string of historic complaints from officials, who claim they felt bullied by his overbearing manner.

He strongly disputes the allegations, saying he has ‘behaved professionally throughout’ his career in Government.

Friends say he will ‘come out swinging’ if he is cleared by Mr Sunak today. One predicted the report would include ‘striking’ revelations in his favour.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner (pictured) accused Mr Sunak of ‘dither and delay’, but a No 10 source said the PM was ‘taking time to go through the report thoroughly’.

A a source said Adam Tolley’s (pictured) findings ran to dozens of pages without reaching a clear conclusion

Former Cabinet minister David Davis, who once employed Mr Raab as his chief of staff, has said his hard-working approach was always likely to clash with the increasingly ‘millennial’ mindset of the civil service.

‘He takes his job very seriously, he works incredibly hard, he expects the same of others and he has a fairly no-nonsense style,’ Mr Davis said.

‘That’s liable to run slap-bang into a lot of millennial problems – lower expectations of work. Whitehall these days falls down on the job all the time.

‘It was made worse by Covid and the work-from-home culture, and I can just imagine how Dominic would have run straight into that – and wouldn’t have given it any leeway at all.’

But former civil service chief Lord Kerslake said that the behaviour of ministers ‘is expected to be higher’.

He told LBC Radio: ‘We must get away from the idea that this is somehow a product of millennial snowflakes not able to take the heat.’

Mr Sunak’s official spokesman told reporters this morning: ‘The Prime Minister has received the report. He is considering those findings. I’m not going to be commenting further while that process is ongoing.’

Asked if Mr Sunak still had confidence in Mr Raab, the spokesman said: ‘The PM is carefully considering the findings of the report. I’ve said he has full confidence in the [Deputy] PM before, that still stands.’

Mr Raab is facing eight formal complaints about his conduct at different departments, with dozens of officials said to have given evidence against him. He has funded his own legal team to work on his defence.

Mr Raab (pictured) is facing eight formal complaints about his conduct at different departments

Former Cabinet minister David Davis (pictured), who once employed Mr Raab as his chief of staff, has said his hard-working approach was always likely to clash with the increasingly ‘millennial’ mindset of the civil service.

Some officials claim to have been left in tears by his allegedly overbearing and demanding manner. He has denied being a bully, and has said ministers have the right to ‘directly challenge’ officials.

Friends of Mr Raab acknowledge he can be a ‘tough’ boss but insist he has never crossed the line into bullying. They warn he has been the target of a ‘politically motivated’ bid by disgruntled civil servants.

Dave Penman, head of the FDA union for senior civil servants, tweeted: ‘Can you imagine being a civil servant who has raised a complaint, sitting in the department that Dominic Raab is the secretary of state for, watching TV to find out your fate?

‘This whole process is a farce. We need serious reform of the way ministerial bullying is dealt with.’ Senior officials at the Ministry of Justice briefed The Guardian that they would resign if Mr Raab is cleared to continue at the department.

One said: ‘If he stays in the department, senior people will want to walk.’

But a Tory source said the ‘ultimatum’ by senior civil servants would help Mr Raab’s cause.

‘It’s completely counter- productive – what sort of message does it send out if the PM gives in to threats like this from officials?’ the source said.

Mr Raab is prized by the PM for his loyalty. During last summer’s Tory leadership campaign he served as an attack dog, branding Liz Truss’s approach ‘electoral suicide’ and sticking with Mr Sunak long after it became clear he was going to lose.

But No 10 has drawn up contingency plans for a snap reshuffle today if the report is deemed to uphold the bullying claims against him.

Sources suggested the PM would appoint a minister from outside the Cabinet to replace him as Justice Secretary in order to avoid the need for a wider reshuffle.

Treasury minister Victoria Atkins and defence minister Alex Chalk are among those tipped for the role.

Source: Read Full Article