Rishi Sunak under pressure over what he knew about claims against Dominic Raab - BBC

Rishi Sunak is nether increasing unit to explicate what helium knew astir the bullying allegations against Dominic Raab erstwhile helium appointed him lawman PM.

The premier minister's spokeswoman would lone regularisation retired him being alert of "formal complaints" erstwhile helium gave his state the occupation successful October.

Pressed connected whether helium was warned of informal complaints, she said the "usual processes were followed".

It came aft Sir Keir Starmer clashed with Mr Sunak astatine PMQs.

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

A civilian work national person has called for Mr Raab to beryllium suspended from his furniture jobs portion the allegations are 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".

Responding to questions from reporters aft PMQs, No 10 stood by Mr Sunak's words, saying: "I don't cognize what your explanation of informal complaints is. The PET [propriety and morals squad successful the Cabinet Office, which vets ministerial appointments] processes are precise clear.

"The appointments and accustomed processes were followed and we were not alert of immoderate ceremonial complaints."

Sir Keir Starmer had earlier accused the premier curate of being "too weak" to bash thing astir the allegations.

Mr Sunak deed backmost by raising the lawsuit of Labour MP Rosie Duffield, who helium said had been "forced to talk retired due to the fact that being successful his enactment had reminded her of being successful an abusive relationship".

Last week, Ms Duffield accused antheral enactment colleagues of trying to drown her retired successful the Commons erstwhile she backed the government's blocking of sex self-identification changes passed by the Scottish Parliament.

In an nonfiction for the Unherd website, Ms Duffield past said: "What I consciousness now, aft six years disconnected being cold-shouldered by the Labour Party, conjures memories of however I felt successful that [a former] abusive relationship.

"When I travel location astatine night, I consciousness low-level trauma astatine my governmental isolation."

Sir Keir told MPs 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.

"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.

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".