DOMINIC Raab is facing a single official complaint representing the concerns of 27 Ministry of Justice officials about his behaviour as pressure increases on Rishi Sunak to sack him.
The group are said to be represented by a memo stating that some were forced to leave work for "extended periods" as a result of having to work with the Justice Secretary or visit their GP because of poor mental and physical health, according to the Observer.
It suggests the number of civil servants covered by complaints made to the inquiry being conducted by senior lawyer Adam Tolley KC is even larger than previously thought.
It as previously reported 24 civil servants were part of complaints across three departments.
“The combination of the pressure of work and unreasonable deadlines has had such an impact on some colleagues’ mental and physical health that they have visited their GPs, and some have subsequently been signed off work for extended periods of time,” the group complaint states.
“Colleagues have confided … that they have been reluctant to be signed off due to the impact that this would have on their other team members.”
Raab denies ever bullying staff but the complaints are putting Sunak under severe pressure to act. The PM was forced to sack Nadhim Zahawi as Tory party chairman after the former chancellor broke the ministerial code seven times with regards to his tax affairs.
A current cabinet minister has also said Raab’s position is untenable.
“Raab has got to go,” the colleague told the Sunday Telegraph, saying they had “heard too much” from civil servants alleging that “he’s an absolute s***”.
The minister added: “I just don’t think he’s a very nice human being. OK, we’re not there to be nice human beings, we’re there to run the country. But you need to respect your civil servants, and I don’t think he has much of that in him, I’m afraid.”
A senior Whitehall figure with knowledge of the bullying investigation has also said it could take weeks or more to conclude because so much evidence has been presented against the deputy prime minister. Raab is yet to be interviewed, it is understood.
