Several ministers in Rishi Sunak’s government have bullied civil servants, Whitehall union chief says
Several ministers in Rishi Sunak‘s government’s have bullied civil servants, the chief of one of Whitehall’s main unions has said.
Dave Penman, chair of the FDA trade union, said civil servants had reported multiple members of the front bench and that such behaviour was a “constant”.
It comes amid allegations of bullying made against Justice Secretary Dominic Raab – which Rishi Sunak says he does not recognise.
Mr Raab, who is also the deputy prime minister, is accused of losing his temper and throwing food around the office.
But in an interview on Tuesday morning Mr Penman said the problem was not just limited to Mr Raab.
“There are concerns raised about a number of ministers, that is essentially a constant in government,” Mr Penman told Sky News.
“It’s not just about this government. It’s every government. You know, there are dozens of ministers and stressful situations.
“And so at any point in time, you’re inevitably going to have a situation where there are concerns raised about the conduct of ministers. That’s why what you’re seeing isn’t just about Dominic Raab.”
Pushed on the nature of the behaviour, the union chief confirmed that it amounted to bullying.
The FDA represents senior civil servants, who tend to work closely with ministers.
Mr Penman’s claims come amid reports that senior officials in the Cabinet Office were aware of reports of Mr Raab’s behaviour.
The Times newspaper on Tuesday cited government sources claiming the allegations were not specific enough to be investigated.
But this week prime minister Mr Sunak said there had been no formal complaints made against his deputy. A spokesperson for Mr Raab said the Justice Secretary “holds himself to the highest standards of professionalism” and is not aware of any formal complaints against him.
The latest news comes a week after Tory MP Gavin Williamson stepped down as an MP amid claimed that he had bullied officials and fellow Tories.
