Dominic Raab
(Picture: PA Wire)A former Cabinet minister has stepped up the pressure on Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab over bullying claims saying he is at the “top end of the robustness scale”.
Former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland’s comments come amid reports that Mr Raab allegedly tried to get him sacked as Welsh Secretary, in August, after he criticised him in the Telegraph over the Bill of Rights.
Sir Robert acknowledged the row with Mr Raab, telling LBC: “There are robust disagreements in politics. I’m old enough and ugly enough to hold my own corner, and Dominic is known for his robustness as well. There was a disagreement, but we’ve moved on.”
Asked to compare Mr Raab with the former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who was famed for giving his players the “hairdryer treatment”, Sir Robert added: “I think he’s at the top end of the robustness scale. I don’t think anybody would deny that with him.”
Mr Raab is facing an investigation by the top lawyer Adam Tolley KC into eight claims of alleged bullying while he ran three different Government departments - the Foreign Office, the Ministry of Justice and the now shuttered Department for Exiting the EU.
He denies any wrongdoing, saying he is “confident that I have behaved professionally throughout”.
The storm around Mr Raab is another major headache for Rishi Sunak after the sacking of Tory Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi, after he was found to have broken the ministerial code for failing to declare a dispute with HMRC over his tax affairs.
Mr Sunak has said he will wait for the outcome of the inquiry by Mr Tolley which is reported to involve up to 24 officials.
Asked about the wider bullying claims, Sir Robert added: “I have not been a minister in the same department with Dominic. I can’t comment about the substance of these allegations. We’ve got to let due process take its course and he’ll be judged according to that, I’m sure.”
The Times, which first reported the disagreement between Mr Raab and Sir Robert, also said Mr Sunak was made aware of his deputy’s behaviour towards Sir Robert last summer.
However, the paper carried a quote from a source close to mr Sunak denying he was aware of the threat. “These claims are untrue. No allegations of threatening behaviour against the then-Welsh secretary were raised with the MP for Richmond [Mr Sunak].”
