According to reports, at least 24 civil workers have complained against Dominic Raab as part of an ongoing investigation into “bullying.”
In light of several claims about the Deputy Prime Minister’s behavior toward officials, a renowned lawyer is presently looking into the matter.
Eight official complaints about Mr. Raab’s behavior had been made, Downing Street said last month.
But according to a new story from The Guardian, all but two of the official allegations against the Cabinet member include numerous accusers, indicating that the inquiry is considerably more extensive than previously believed.
The publication reports that there are believed to be at least 20 and maybe as many as 30 complainants in all.
The investigation against Mr. Raab started in November and is anticipated to be finished soon.
It is still going on while Prime Minister Rishi Sunak under heat for a dispute involving another member of his Cabinet, Nadhim Zahawi.
The Tory chairman is also being investigated to see if he violated ministerial guidelines when it was discovered that, while serving as Chancellor, he paid a penalty to HMRC while settling a tax debt.
‘Confident’ that he conducted himself “in a professional manner” during his tenure in government, Mr. Raab, who is now the Justice Secretary, said that he didn’t believe he had “done anything illegal.”
Additionally, he has denied accusations that he ever threw tomatoes from a salad across a room in a fit of rage.
One official complaint has been made about Mr. Raab’s tenure as foreign secretary, one complaint has been made regarding his tenure at the Department for Exiting the EU, and six complaints have been made regarding his tenure at the Ministry of Justice.
The news that several officials are engaged in many of the allegations, according to Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner, has ‘even more doubts’ about Mr. Sunak’s judgment, she added.
While Adam Tolley KC is conducting the probe, the PM has defied demands to suspend Mr. Raab.
These appalling allegations of pervasive bullying and intimidation, Ms Rayner added, “raise still more doubts about the PM’s judgment.”
He claimed to have zero tolerance for bullying and vowed to lead a government of honesty, but he not only named Dominic Raab as his deputy prime minister and justice secretary, but also continues to support him.
According to The Guardian, allegations in the investigation of Mr. Raab include that on several times each day, he was “extremely unpleasant and belligerent” and “belittled and demeaned” officials.
It is also claimed that the probe against the Deputy PM heard of people being physically ill before meetings, crying often, and feeling suicidal afterwards.
According to a spokesman for the Cabinet Office, additional remark would be improper while Adam Tolley KC’s inquiry is still continuing.
The civil service has a “zero tolerance” policy for bullying, according to a representative for the MoJ. The Deputy Prime Minister oversees a well-run organization that is advancing significant changes and values its employees highly.
It would be improper to speak more until the independent inquiry is finished, according to the statement that the probe is ongoing.
»Dominic Raab faces bullying charges ‘from at least 24 government workers’«