Dominic Raab dodges questions on bullying allegations

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Dominic Raab dodges questions on bullying allegations



Figures that worked with you that I've spoken to have told me that your behaviour did amount to bullying, that your approach put the fear of God to quote someone into members of your staff. You insist you are not a bully, but do you accept that others think you are and are you confident that you're going to remain in your post in a few months time? Well, I've of course engaged with the inquiry and will not comment on it at all and certainly not comment on anonymous claims made through the media, which of course are in breach of the rules of the inquiry. Put it another way then, do you think you will be exonerated and remain in post? I've nothing more to say than I've already said at length. OK, so you're not sure you're going to be exonerated? It's an independent inquiry, I'm confident I've behaved professionally at all times. OK, so you think you'll be OK? I'm not going to comment on the outcome of the inquiry, which is by definition independent. Let's bring in our political editor, Beth Rigby, for her thoughts on that interview. He didn't look quite as assured as he did on Sunday with Sophie Ridge there, Beth.

Well, SJ, he was out and about today because the Justice Secretary was announcing a new panel to better support victims of major disasters, be that Grenfell Tower, Hillsborough or the Manchester Bombs, but of course, overshadowing every appearance he now makes is the allegations around bullying and what will happen with that inquiry. Just to remind you, there are eight separate complaints involving multiple complainants. It goes across a period of time and a number of different departments taking in the Brexit Department when he was Brexit Secretary, the Foreign Office when he was Foreign Secretary, and the Justice Department as well. I've spoken to a number of people familiar with the investigation and some of the allegations around his conduct, including, as you heard in that clip, the idea that as a boss, he took quote one of my sources, put the fear of God into those working for him, and I put that to him in that pool clip just now. And I should stress, Sarah Jane, that he does deny the allegations he said to Sky News, as you were saying, that if one of these complainants are upheld, he will resign. But whether he is going to be exonerated at the moment is much less clear, and when I asked him that question three times, he just simply refused to answer. But I would say as well, there are questions too, not just for Dominic Raab, but for the Prime Minister.

Now, you remember that when Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister, he promised a government of professionalism, integrity, and accountability. But questions about what the Prime Minister knew about Dominic Raab's alleged conduct before he appointed him, Deputy Prime Minister, have surfaced again. I was told by a source last month, which we reported, that the Prime Minister was told directly about what this person described as Dominic Raab's unacceptable behaviour. But at the time, there were no formal complaints. The Prime Minister, well, he wasn't then the Prime Minister, but Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister. And then went on to promote Dominic Raab and reappoint him as Deputy Prime Minister. Now, number 10, when we've put those allegations to them, say that at the time Dominic Raab was appointed, there was no formal complaint.

But this matters because there's still questions around, what did Rishi Sunak know when. So I think there's questions for Dominic Raab, there's questions about the Prime Minister's conduct and what he knew. And those involved in the allegations and the investigation around the bullying complaints against leveled at Dominic Raab say that they think in a month or so it could be concluded this inquiry by a KC is looking into that. And the question, I guess, is will the Prime Minister lose a third Cabinet Minister around accusations of their conduct?.



sky news live, breaking, pmqs, politics, dominic raab, bullying, complaint, commons, labour, conservative, prime minister's questions, allegations, sky news, sky, news, uk news, beth rigby

Location: London, UK

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