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<\/picture><\/span>EPA-EFE\/REX\/Shutterstock<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nDeputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab should be suspended while he is investigated over bullying allegations, a civil service union leader has said.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n FDA general secretary Dave Penman told the BBC: “If that was any other employee\u2026 they would in all likelihood be suspended from their job.” <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n He said suspension – also backed by Labour and the Liberal Democrats – would help protect current employees.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mr Raab, who is also justice secretary, has denied bullying civil servants. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he will wait for the outcome of the inquiry, being carried out by senior lawyer Adam Tolley KC, before taking any action.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Education Secretary Gillian Keegan rejected calls for Mr Raab to step aside now, saying a “fair process” should be followed. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n She told Sky News: “When you get the facts you discuss and take the action. I think it is only fair when somebody accuses somebody of something you go through that… I think that is the right thing to do.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “Then the prime minister and Dominic will obviously discuss that and make the right decision based on that.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mr Penman told Radio 4’s Today programme the investigation involved “dozens” of civil servants and eight complaints covering three government departments. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The complaints relate to Mr Raab’s previous periods as justice secretary and foreign secretary under Boris Johnson, and his time as Brexit secretary under Theresa May. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mr Penman also criticised former cabinet minister Jacob Rees Mogg for saying people should not be “snowflakey” about bullying claims.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The comments were “outrageous” and “belittled” the process, said the FDA leader. He accused Mr Rees-Mogg of “trivialising bullying that we know has ruined lives and careers”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The Liberal Democrats have called on Mr Sunak to publish the advice given to him by the Cabinet Office about the allegations, and to give evidence to the inquiry. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “It’s time for the prime minister to come out of hiding and face the music. The public deserves to know the truth about what he knew and when.” <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n At least three senior civil servants who worked with Dominic Raab have given evidence to the inquiry into his behaviour as witnesses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/span><\/span>Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n The BBC has been told one is Philip Rycroft, who ran the Department for Exiting the European Union when Mr Raab was Brexit secretary.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Another, the BBC understands, is the current permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice, Antonia Romeo. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A third permanent secretary from a department in which Mr Raab served has also told the BBC they have been interviewed as a witness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Permanent secretaries are the UK’s most senior civil servants and run government departments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n It is understood Mr Raab has had an initial meeting with Mr Tolley, but has not yet sat down with him for a substantial conversation about the allegations against him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Last week, the deputy prime minister told the BBC: “I’m confident I behaved professionally throughout, and of course the government takes a zero-tolerance approach to bullying.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mr Raab added that he was “always mindful of the way I behave”, but made “no apologies for having high standards”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mr Tolley’s report is not expected to be completed for several weeks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Privately, many Conservative MPs, including ministers, have told the BBC they fear the allegations could yet cost Mr Raab his job.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n One minister told the BBC “he should have gone ages ago”, describing the situation as a “ticking timebomb” and adding that Mr Raab was “totally unsuitable for high office”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Someone else who worked with Mr Raab said his behaviour was “arbitrary, pernickety”, and he was “very hard on junior staff” and “extremely difficult to work with”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n But one former senior civil servant who worked with Mr Raab said: “He was very professional to me.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n He described Mr Raab as “incredibly hard working” and “very demanding”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “Being on the end of his expectations wouldn’t be nice if you’re not prepared for it. It’s tough. There’s perfectionism there,” he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “He had a view how he wanted things done. He expected delivery but doesn’t understand how to get it done.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Former Conservative cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said it was “completely sensible” for Mr Raab to remain in post while the investigation was continuing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Asked about the bullying claims, Mr Rees-Mogg told Sky News: “I think we’ve got to be slightly careful about the bullying allegations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “We mustn’t be too snowflakey about it. People need to be able to say this job has not been done well enough and needs to be done better.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mr Raab was justice secretary and deputy prime minister when Boris Johnson was succeeded by Liz Truss. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n She sacked him, but he was reappointed to those roles when Mr Sunak entered Downing Street in October.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mr Raab previously served in the cabinet as foreign secretary from 2020-21 and Brexit secretary in 2018.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Senior civil servant gives evidence to Raab probe<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n More civil servants planned to make Raab complaints<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Who is Dominic Raab?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n Published at Wed, 01 Feb 2023 11:16:33 +0000<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dominic Raab: Union leader calls for suspension over bullying claims EPA-EFE\/REX\/Shutterstock Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab should be suspended while he is investigated over bullying allegations, a civil service union leader has said. FDA general secretary Dave Penman told the BBC: “If that was any other employee\u2026 they would in all likelihood be suspended from… Continue reading Dominic Raab: Union leader calls for suspension over bullying claims<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":379,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uk-politics","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=378"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/378\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
![\"Antonia](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/7DEE\/production\/_128483223_gettyimages-624038232-1.jpg.webp)
<\/picture><\/div>\n‘Professional throughout’ <\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
‘Perfectionism’ <\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
More on this story<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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