Raab, who said he would stay on as deputy prime minister and justice secretary while the process took place, used a stand-in appearance at prime minister’s questions to insist he had always behaved properly towards staff.
Sunak, who is returning from the G20 summit in Bali, will appoint an experienced external figure to lead the inquiry, as No 10 has yet to replace Christopher Geidt as independent adviser on ministerial standards after he resigned in June . However, No 10 said Sunak would not be obliged to accept any findings, as he was the “ultimate arbiter” of the ministerial code, raising questions about the independence of any investigation.
Raab suggested he would stand down if the prime minister wanted him to, saying he would “respect whatever outcome ” Sunak decided, although he told MPs he was “confident” that he had always behaved professionally.
The Guardian can reveal that one of the formal complaints was from a group of mid-ranking policy officials at the Ministry of Justice. Sources said it was initially made in spring this year in a letter to the permanent secretary at the MoJ, Antonia Romeo .
This story is from the November 17, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the November 17, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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