Dominic Raab is facing multiple fresh complaints from senior officials in various government departments over allegations of bullying behaviour, according to reports.
The deputy prime minister’s former private secretaries, responsible for managing the day-to-day affairs of government ministers, are preparing to make formal complaints, according to BBC Newsnight.
The new complaints come a day after Rishi Sunak appointed a lawyer to investigate formal complaints against his deputy prime minister, who has been accused by several officials of bullying behavior in various government departments.
“There are a number of allegations which appear to be coming to various departments where Dominic Raab has worked, each of which will need to be approved by the Prime Minister for investigation,” said Dave Penman, the general secretary of the union FDA. .
When asked by Newsnight whether the coordinated effort by officials could look like a “witch hunt”, Penman said it showed a level of concern about the deputy prime minister’s behaviour.
“This is an extraordinary set of circumstances,” Penman said. “We have never come across a situation where so many officials seem to be raising complaints about the conduct of a minister.”
The Guardian previously revealed multiple allegations of bullying in three government departments, including the Ministry of Justice, the Brexit department and the Foreign Office.
Raab has previously denied any wrongdoing and expressed his support for the review. Labor has called on the Prime Minister to widen the scope of the inquiry to allow independent investigation of formal and informal complaints.
Downing Street said the lawyer, Adam Tolley KC, who has been tasked with investigating the complaints, will be able to widen his inquiry to investigate other complaints if the Prime Minister agrees.
The program also reported on the alleged use of personal email accounts for government business in two government departments, including his time as justice secretary last year. According to the programme, several officials raised “deep concerns” with Raab about the use of his personal email account.
The alleged breach of ministerial rules comes after the current home secretary, Suella Braverman, was forced to resign under then prime minister Liz Truss, in part, after sending an official document from from his personal email to a fellow deputy.
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After Sunak renominated the interior secretary to the post, Braverman admitted to using her personal email for official business six times, apologizing for her “errors in judgment.”
The fresh harassment complaints put renewed pressure on the prime minister, who Penman said must decide whether it is “safe” for officials to continue working with Raab amid serious allegations about his conduct.
“That’s what any businessman would do,” Penman said. “It’s about the prime minister making a decision. He wants to maintain veto control through the ministerial code, with that comes the responsibility to protect civil servants.”