PMQs: Starmer and Sunak clash over Raab bullying allegations

1 year ago 54
Media caption,

Starmer: Is PM lone idiosyncratic unaware of Raab allegations?

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer person clashed implicit the bullying allegations against Deputy PM Dominic Raab.

At Prime Minister's Questions, the Labour person accused Mr Sunak of being "too anemic to bash thing astir it".

The premier curate insisted helium was pursuing "due process".

And connected a time erstwhile hundreds of thousands of nationalist workers were connected strike, helium accused the Labour person of failing to basal up to national bosses oregon for Britain's schoolchildren.

Mr Raab, who is besides justness secretary, took his customary spot alongside Mr Sunak connected the authorities beforehand bench. He has denied bullying civilian servants.

Earlier a civilian work national person called for Mr Raab to beryllium suspended portion the allegations were investigated.

FDA wide caput Dave Penman told the BBC: "If that was immoderate different employee… they would successful each likelihood beryllium suspended from their job."

Mr Sunak has said helium volition hold for the result of the inquiry, being carried retired by elder lawyer Adam Tolley KC, earlier taking immoderate action.

Sir Keir asked whether Mr Sunak was "going to assertion that he's the lone idiosyncratic wholly unaware of superior allegations of bullying against the lawman premier curate earlier helium appointed him?"

The premier curate replied that erstwhile helium was made alert of ceremonial complaints, "I instructed a starring autarkic KC to behaviour an probe due to the fact that I instrumentality enactment erstwhile these things happen".

He contrasted his attack with that of Sir Keir to claims by Labour MP Rosie Duffield that Labour was failing to basal up for women successful the enactment connected transgender issues.

"If helium is truthful acrophobic astir what radical are saying and truthful acrophobic astir behaviour successful nationalist life, past precocious 1 of his ain MPs was forced to talk retired due to the fact that being successful his enactment had reminded her of being successful an abusive relationship.

"And past his ain bureau was caught undermining her. He ought to beryllium supporting her and her colleagues, but if helium can't beryllium trusted to basal up for the women successful his party, helium can't beryllium trusted to basal up for Britain."

Image source, PA Media

Image caption,

Keir Starmer challenged Rishi Sunak connected his handling of bullying allegations faced by Dominic Raab

The Labour person said Mr Raab was facing 24 abstracted allegations of bullying and added that "according to caller reports, immoderate of the complainants were physically sick. One says they were near suicidal".

"How would helium [the premier minister] consciousness if 1 of his friends oregon relatives was being forced to enactment for a bully, simply due to the fact that the antheral astatine the apical was excessively anemic to bash thing astir it?," helium told Mr Sunak.

Mr Sunak again turned his occurrence connected Sir Keir, saying the Labour person had admitted astatine the play that hatred had been allowed to dispersed unchallenged successful the enactment nether his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn.

'Addiction to sleaze'

"He was speaking arsenic if helium wasn't adjacent there. But helium was sitting close adjacent to him, supporting him for 4 agelong years, not challenging. And it's emblematic of him, declining to lead, sitting connected the fence, carping from the sidelines and ne'er lasting up for a rule that matters," said the premier minister.

Sir Keir deed back, accusing the Conservatives of having an "addiction to sleaze and scandal".

Mr Sunak replied: "He can't basal up to his national bosses, helium can't basal up for Britain's schoolchildren contiguous and helium can't basal up for the women successful his party."

The bullying complaints subordinate to Mr Raab's erstwhile periods arsenic justness caput and overseas caput nether Boris Johnson, and his clip arsenic Brexit caput nether Theresa May.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Antonia Romeo was appointed Permanent Secretary astatine the Ministry of Justice successful January 2021

At slightest 3 elder civilian servants who worked with Dominic Raab person fixed grounds to the enquiry into his behaviour arsenic witnesses.

The BBC has been told 1 is Philip Rycroft, who ran the Department for Exiting the European Union erstwhile Mr Raab was Brexit secretary.

Another, the BBC understands, is the existent imperishable caput astatine the Ministry of Justice, Antonia Romeo.

A 3rd imperishable caput from a section successful which Mr Raab served has besides told the BBC they person been interviewed arsenic a witness.

Permanent secretaries are the UK's astir elder civilian servants and tally authorities departments.

It is understood Mr Raab has had an archetypal gathering with Mr Tolley, but has not yet sat down with him for a important speech astir the allegations against him.

Last week, the lawman premier curate told the BBC: "I'm assured I behaved professionally throughout, and of people the authorities takes a zero-tolerance attack to bullying."

Mr Raab added that helium was "always mindful of the mode I behave", but made "no apologies for having precocious standards".

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