Dominic Raab behaved so badly at a meeting with the Home Office during his first spell as justice secretary that his department’s top official later had to personally apologize to his counterparts, it has been claimed in the Guardian
Whitehall sources said the deputy prime minister, who faces two official complaints over alleged bullying, had acted “so badly and inappropriately” at a high-level meeting earlier this year that the permanent secretary of The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) was forced to call senior officials of the then Home Secretary, Priti Patel, to express their regret.
An insider suggested that the top official at the Ministry of Justice, Antonia Romeo, had taken the highly unusual step of apologizing on behalf of her minister to avoid the incident becoming a formal complaint. However, it is unclear whether Raab was aware of his actions at the time.
Neither department denied that the apology call was made. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “The Ministry of Justice works in conjunction with the Home Office and calls between officials to follow up on cross-departmental meetings are standard procedure.”
Rishi Sunak has faced questions about his judgment in re-appointing Raab as justice secretary after a series of allegations about his behavior towards officials in three different departments, including the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of ‘Foreign Affairs and the Brexit department.
Allegations of his “harassment” have now prompted calls for an inquiry into the “toxic culture” at the Foreign Office as it oversaw the chaotic withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan, similar to the review by the Foreign Office the Interior after the Windrush scandal.
The Prime Minister has backed his deputy, but has agreed to open an investigation into two formal complaints brought against him by officials who worked with him at the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Justice.
However, the investigation remains on hold until No 10 appoints an external figure to carry it out. Sunak is also under pressure to fill the post of independent ethics counsel, which has been vacant for five months. Raab has previously said he has “never tolerated bullying” and has “always sought to strengthen and empower” officials.
Angela Rayner, deputy Labor leader, said: “Dominic Raab is leaving a trail of senior officials forced to spend their time apologizing for his toxic behavior and reading him the riot act, rather than focusing on keep Britons safe on our streets.
“This shameful incident shows that his misconduct is not only an embarrassment to the department he claims to lead, but also hampers the smooth running of government.
“Rishi Sunak promised to bring integrity to the steps of No 10, but now the MP he reappointed is already facing an independent inquiry into his conduct with a raft of revelations about his unacceptable behavior casting a shadow over his government”.
The Guardian reported that his refusal to speak to some Foreign Office staff he considered a “time waster” led to “blockages” during the evacuation from Afghanistan, with staff from two departments he headed forced to take sick leave because of his alleged behavior.
Sources said the deputy prime minister’s conduct exacerbated the chaotic exit of British forces during the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in August 2021, which officials warned had been “costly” and caused damage “lasting”.
Allegations of Raab’s “bullying” behavior have prompted Labor to call for an inquiry into the culture of the Foreign Office along the lines of Wendy Williams’ root-and-branch review of the Home Office after the Windrush scandal.
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David Lammy, Labour’s shadow foreign secretary, said there appeared to have been a “deeper trend of toxicity, dysfunction, harassment and moral decline” which could have been “undermining the influence of the Kingdom United on the global stage.”
He also cited an internal civil service survey which found the Foreign Office was ranked in the top three departments: “There are now serious questions to be answered about whether allegedly bullying ministers have created a wider culture of toxicity in one of the large offices of the state.
“The UK’s great diplomats deserve to have ministers who hold them to the highest standards and treat them with dignity and respect.
“In addition to the individual investigations into Raab already underway, the FCDO needs an independent review of its culture to learn the lessons of Tory failure, so that a department that once prided itself on being a model for diplomatic services from all over the world can do it again.”
The new figures, obtained by the Guardian, also reveal that not a single official working in the Foreign Secretary’s private office left the department in 2017-19, when Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt were in charge.
Raab led the department from July 2019 to September 2021, and his tenure coincided with an increase in departures: 24% in 2019/20, 28% in 2020/21 and 12% in 2021/22. Allies have suggested the departures were accidental.