Rishi Sunak is “carefully considering" his next steps after receiving a long-awaited report into bullying accusations against his deputy Dominic Raab, the Prime Minister's spokesman confirmed on Thursday.
Downing Street received the findings of leading barrister Adam Tolley's inquiry into Mr Raab's workplace conduct, on Thursday morning.
No10 has pledged to “swiftly” publish the report.
Mr Raab, who is also the Justice Secretary, is waiting to learn whether he will remain in his job as the PM scrutinises the results of the investigation.
“The position remains that we will publish these findings," Mr Sunak's official spokesman said.
“Clearly, the Prime Minister wants to carefully consider what he has received this morning."
Mr Sunak's previous expression of having "full confidence" in Mr Raab "still stands", the Prime Minister's official spokesman said during a regular briefing for reporters. “Obviously he's carefully considering the findings of the report before coming to a judgment".
Sky News and the Press Asscoation reported on Thursday afternoon that it was understood a decision on Mr Raab’s future will not be announced on Thursday. Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain accused Mr Sunak of “dither and delay”.
Mr Raab has been under investigation for several months following a raft of bullying accusations from Whitehall officials.
It comes as the Tory party’s former chairman Sir Jake Berry warned that the Westminster complaints system, which has allowed Mr Raab to stay in his role while under investigation, is “massively outdated”.
Mr Raab has continued to head up the Department of Justice and fill in for Mr Sunak at PMQs despite being accused of bullying junior staff.
Sir Jake said a “fundamental rethink” of the complaints system was needed.
“It does seem to me quite wrong that when people are under these kinds of investigations of this type that they continue in their job,” he told ITV’s Peston show.
“Whatever the outcome is, I actually think there’s a fundamental rethink required about how we deal with these sorts of allegations, both in Government made against ministers and made against Members of Parliament. It’s a massively outdated system that isn’t what our constituents would expect of any of us.”
Mr Raab has been under investigation over eight formal complaints about his behaviour when Foreign Secretary, Brexit Secretary and during his first stint as Justice Secretary.
Civil servants have alleged he “put the fear of God” into junior staff and some officials were “nervous” about meetings with him. Mr Raab’s declaration of interests, published yesterday, shows he has employed lawyers “at his own expense” in relation to the investigation being conducted by Mr Tolley.
It comes amid reports that Ministry of Justice officials are preparing to quit if Mr Raab is cleared of the allegations.
Mr Raab has insisted he believes “heart and soul” that he is not a bully and defended his “forthright” approach to his work.
The minister funded his own legal team to defend against the allegations, it emerged on Wednesday.
The declaration in the heavily delayed register of ministerial interests came despite taxpayers footing an estimated £222,000 bill for former prime minister Boris Johnson's legal fees in the partygate inquiry into whether he lied to MPs.
In the register, Mr Raab's entry notes read: "The minister has engaged lawyers at his own expense in relation to the investigation being conducted by Adam Tolley KC."
Mr Tolley was appointed in November to lead the investigation into Mr Raab's conduct but it is not known when Mr Raab first engaged legal representation.
Mr Raab remained at work on Thursday, responding to Crown Prosecution Service statistics on rape cases.
He issued a tweet and statement on the issue in his role as Justice Secretary.
