UK Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab calls for investigation into complaints about his behavior

Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said on Wednesday (November 16th) he had called for an independent inquiry into two formal complaints about his behavior, the latest case of alleged bullying to pressure Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Raab said in a letter to Sunak that he had been made aware of two separate complaints, one since he was foreign minister and the other since his tenure as justice minister.

Some officials who worked for Raab say he was a tough and demanding boss, with others being quoted by local media as saying he was rude, aggressive and bullying. Raab denied the allegations.

Raab said he was made aware of the complaints on Wednesday morning, both of which relate to his behavior while serving under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

“I am confident that I have conducted myself in a professional manner throughout, but, of course, I will fully engage and look forward to dealing with any complaints in a transparent manner,” he said.

It comes after Cabinet minister Gavin Williamson resigned from the government last week over allegations he bullied colleagues, with opposition parties saying the case raised questions about Sunak’s judgment weeks only after starting work.

In response to Raab’s letter, Sunak said he knew his deputy would be “eager to deal with the complaints”, adding that it was “fair that these matters be thoroughly investigated”.

When asked if he had ever applied for a non-disclosure agreement related to his behavior, Raab said no, but there was a labor dispute before he entered parliament and that included a confidentiality clause, which , according to him, was the norm at the time.

Raab, who replaced Johnson for nearly a month in 2020 while the then prime minister was hospitalized with COVID-19, said he was looking to set “high standards” in his teams to deliver in difficult circumstances in recent years.

A spokeswoman for the prime minister said Sunak had confidence in Raab and was working to appoint an independent investigator to look into the complaints.