Dominic Raab Should Be Suspended While Bullying Probe Goes On, Says Former Tory Chairman

Kevin Schofield
·2 min read

Dominic Raab should be suspended while the probe into multiple bullying allegations against him goes on, a former Tory chairman has said.

Jake Berry said it would be “very bizarre” is someone in any other workplace facing similar complaints was able to carry on in their job.

His comments, to Radio Four’s Week In Westminster programme, pile further pressure on Rishi Sunak over his handling of the situation.

Raab, the deputy prime minister and justice secretary, faces eight separate complaints from dozens of civil servants he worked with at three Whitehall departments over a number of years.

Leading lawyer Adam Tolley KC has been conducting an independent investigation into the allegations since November.

Sunak has resisted calls for Raab to be sacked, insisting he will wait until Tolley produces his findings before deciding what course of action to take.

But Berry, who was sacked as Conservative chairman when Sunak became PM, said: “It would be very bizarre if you had someone in any other workplace who wasn’t suspended pending that investigation.

“MPs and ministers are not some form of special human being - I think they should just be treated like anyone else is in their workplace.”

He added: “We have a system in parliament that you’re either in a job or you’re not in a job

“The way these sort of complaints would be dealt with in the private sector is you would be suspended while they were investigated.”

Sunak has insisted he was not aware of any “formal complaints” against Raab before making him deputy prime minister in October.

However, it was reported yesterday that cabinet secretary Simon Case was personally informed of a written complaint about bullying against Raab months before his re-appointment as justice secretary.

Meanwhile, Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union, which represents senior civil servants, said some officials had lost their careers and suffered “mental health crisis” as a result of their dealings with Raab

The deputy prime minister denies the allegations against him.

Related...

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • CureVac N.V. (NASDAQ:CVAC) Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

    CureVac N.V. (NASDAQ:CVAC) Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript April 24, 2024 CureVac N.V. isn’t one of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds at the end of the third quarter (see the details here). Operator: Greetings and welcome to the CureVac Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results and Business Update Conference Call. […]

  • This is unfair – Ashley Judd on Harvey Weinstein’s conviction being overturned

    She alleged sexual harassment against the movie producer.

  • Top court to examine COVID-related entry limits imposed by Newfoundland and Labrador

    OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada will weigh the constitutionality of a pandemic-related restriction that curbed travel for public-health reasons. The top court has agreed to hear arguments about a 2020 order from Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer that limited the circumstances in which non-residents could enter the province. Nova Scotia resident Kimberley Taylor went to court after being denied an exemption to attend her mother's funeral in Newfoundland four years ago. The Su

  • Wales school stabbing – latest: Girl, 13, charged with three counts of attempted murder

    Police and ambulance called out to Amman Valley School in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire

  • Formula E debuts Gen3 Evo race car: All-wheel drive unlocks 0-60 mph in 1.82 seconds

    For the first time, all-wheel drive will be available on a Formula E car, which will unlock 0-60 MPH times under two seconds.

  • Lululemon's We Made Too Much section has been replenished — save up to $99 on 25+ styles

    Shop special prices on belt bags, sweatshirts and more.

  • Wales school stabbing: Girl, 13, charged with attempted murder after two teachers and pupil wounded

    Three injured in incident have now been released from hospital

  • As Biden celebrates computer chip factories, voters wait for the promised production to start

    SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — President Joe Biden has a great economic story to tell voters a decade from now, less so in 2024. On Thursday, the Democratic president headed to upstate New York to celebrate Micron Technology's plans to build a campus of computer chip factories made possible in part with government support. But the initial phase of the project would open the first plant in 2028 and the second plant in 2029, with more time expected for the next two factories to be completed. Staring down a

  • Remembering legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole. Oh baby, what a life

    Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Born June 24, 1933, the St. John's, N.L., native provided a distinctive soundtrack to Canada's game. He was known for his signature "Oh baby" call, an expression that was not restricted to hockey arenas. “He’s been saying that around the house as long as I can remember," daughter Megan said in Cole's 2016 autobiography "Now I’m Catching On. My Life On and Off the Air." Cole first remembers using it

  • Honda to get up to $5B in government assistance for EV battery, assembly plants

    Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles as part of a $15-billion project to create a supply chain in the province for the Japanese automaker. The plan – which includes up to $5 billion in public funds – is expected to see the two main plants create 1,000 jobs on top of retaining the existing 4,200 jobs at the assembly plant. That plant is set to produce up to 240,000 vehicles per

  • Canada sanctions Iran defence minister, others after missile attack on Israel

    OTTAWA — Canada is targeting Iran's defence minister as part of a new round of sanctions imposed after the country's retaliatory attack on Israel earlier this month. The sanctions affect two institutions and two military leaders, and come a week after Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Canada would target more Iranians. Iranian Defence Minister Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani and the country's the most senior military body were both listed on the newly imposed sanctions, in co-ordination with cou

  • Wall Street plunges after US inflation shock

    US stock markets plunged amid fears of stagflation in the American economy, which grew at its slowest pace in nearly two years just as inflation jumped.

  • Supreme Court justices appear poised to offer Trump some immunity – potentially delaying Jan 6 trial

    It is unclear how much immunity the Supreme Court could offer presidents but justices recognized the case will have the ‘huge implicaitons’ for the country

  • Hertz loses another $200 million from its EVs

    Car-rental operator Hertz reported it lost another $200 million due to its EV gamble.

  • Ukrainian duo heads to the Eurovision Song Contest with a message: We're still here

    Even amid war, Ukraine finds time for the glittery, pop-filled Eurovision Song Contest. Ukraine’s entrants in the pan-continental music competition — the female duo of rapper alyona alyona and singer Jerry Heil — set off from Kyiv for the competition on Thursday. “We need to be visible for the world,” Heil told The Associated Press at Kyiv train station before her departure.

  • Want to retire comfortably? Here's how

    According to a new survey from The Employee Benefit Research Institute, 7 out of 10 Americans feel confident about retiring comfortably. As inflation continues to grow and Americans feel wary about retiring, it becomes paramount to start planning as soon as possible. Retirement Daily Editor and Publisher Robert Powell joins Wealth! to give insight into what Americans can do to set themselves up to eventually retire comfortably. "One is to think about how much money you need to accumulate relative to your salary. So companies like Fidelity, T. Rowe Price, Lincoln, others have said maybe what you need is somewhere between ten to twelve times your final year's salary set aside in your nest egg in order to fund your desired standard of living," Powell explains. "The other folks say another rule of thumb would be to look to replace 75 to maybe 80% of your pre-retirement income in retirement as a way to make sure you have the same standard of living. I think those are great places to start." For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Wealth! This post was written by Nicholas Jacobino

  • Humza Yousaf’s future hinges on tight vote as Greens back no-confidence motion

    The SNP leader dramatically brought the powersharing deal to an end on Thursday morning.

  • Chef Jose Andres mourns World Central Kitchen workers killed in Gaza at Washington Cathedral

    Celebrity Chef Jose Andres called seven aid workers killed by Israeli forces in Gaza "the best of humanity" on Thursday during a memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral that was attended by hundreds, and punctuated by grief and ongoing questions about the attack. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel mistakenly killed the seven people working for Andres' charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) in an airstrike earlier this month, prompting worldwide condemnation and a demand by President Joe Biden to make it easier to get aid in to Gaza or risk a shift in U.S. support.

  • How TCU freshman quarterback Hauss Hejny made the most of spring camp

    The former star Aledo quarterback has made strides during the Horned Frogs’ spring football practice

  • Good Times reboot showrunner hits back at criticism over ‘lazy’ Black stereotypes

    Ranada Shepard says she understands if the animated revival of the classic sitcom is ‘jolting’