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UK to probe ‘bullying’ charges against home secretary Priti Patel
Priti Patel has rejected the allegations against her and PM Boris Johnson has expressed full confidence in her.
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday announced an inquiry into swirling allegations of ‘bullying’ and worse against home secretary Priti Patel, whose top official in the Home Office last week publicly resigned, accusing her of a ‘vicious’ campaign against him.
Patel, who has been in the news for accusations of alleged ill-treatment of officials, was not in the House of Commons when the inquiry was announced by senior cabinet minister Michael Gove. She has rejected the allegations and Johnson has expressed full confidence in her.
Gove told MPs: “Allegations have been made that the home secretary has breached the ministerial code. The home secretary absolutely rejects these allegations. The prime minister has expressed his full confidence in her”.
“This government always takes any complaints relating to the ministerial code seriously, and in line with the process set out in the ministerial code the prime minister has asked the Cabinet Office to establish the facts”.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wanted independent lawyers to be involved in the inquiry. He said he was alarmed by reports that Patel told her civil servants to find a way of overturning a court judgment about an extradition case.
According to Corbyn, the Johnson government is “led by bullies” and presided over by a “part-time PM”.
Last week, Philip Rutnam, permanent secretary in the Home Office, tendered his public resignation and announced his intention to sue the government in a tribunal for constructive dismissal.
Rutnam said his experience had been “extreme”, adding that he had received allegations that Patel’s conduct included “shouting and swearing, belittling people, making unreasonable and repeated demands - behaviour that created fear and that needed some bravery to call out”.
Accusing Patel of orchestrating a campaign against him, he said in a statement: “In the last 10 days, I have been the target of a vicious and orchestrated briefing campaign. It has been alleged that I have briefed the media against the home secretary”.
“This - along with many other claims - is completely false. The home secretary categorically denied any involvement in this campaign to the Cabinet Office. I regret I do not believe her. She has not made the efforts I would expect to dissociate herself from the comments.”
“Despite my efforts to engage with her, Priti Patel has made no effort to engage with me to discuss this. I believe that these events give me very strong grounds to claim constructive, unfair dismissal and I will be pursuing that claim in the courts”.
“My experience has been extreme, but I consider there is evidence that it was part of wider pattern of behaviour. One of my duties as permanent secretary was to protect the health, safety and well-being of our 35,000 people”.
“I have received allegations that her conduct has included shouting and swearing, belittling people, making unreasonable and repeated demands - behaviour that created fear and that needed some bravery to call out”.
