Minister behaving badly? Whitehall ponders its murky complaints process
A certain amount of shock absorbing' is expected among civil servants but what happens when there is a more serious expression of concern?
Politics is a rough and tumble profession where clashes between headstrong ministers and more cautious officials are not uncommon. But when claims surface of a politician's behaviour verging on bullying, how fit are the current systems to deal with the strain and what compels civil servants to make allegations anonymously to journalists? These questions are circulating through the roughly two dozen government departments around Whitehall.
After multiple media reports critical of Dominic Raab's behaviour, an independent investigation was launched into his behaviour when two formal complaints were made. Raab said he was confident he had always behaved professionally and denied bullying.
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