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Rishi Sunak is facing growing questions about his judgment after reports emerged that another minister he appointed last week was embroiled in allegations of bullying. Former Education Minister Gavin Williamson resigned from the government on Tuesday, saying he wanted to clear his name. Now Labor and the Lib Dems have called for an inquiry into the allegations about the conduct of Justice Secretary Dominic Raab. Last night the Daily Mirror reported that Mr Raab was nicknamed ‘The Incinerator’ because he ‘burns’ staff so quickly. Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said: “These deeply disturbing allegations of bullying and intimidation raise even more questions about Rishi Sunak’s judgment. The prime minister must clarify what he knew about these allegations when he reappointed Dominic Raab as deputy prime minister as well as justice secretary, and they must be investigated urgently and independently. “With each new scandal and scandalous deal, it becomes more obvious that he is a weak leader who puts party management ahead of the national interest.” Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “Dominic Raab now joins a long list of Tory ministers who have allegations of misconduct against them. “These latest reports cannot be swept under the carpet by Rishi Sunak. An investigation into Raab must be launched with immediate effect. “No staff, whether in the public service or in any other sector, should be subjected to work with or to intimidation.” The allegations were first reported in The Guardian newspaper. Sources close to Mr. Raab denied he was a bully and said he had a good working relationship with his officials, whom he rates highly, and had never faced a formal complaint in any of the many government departments he worked for. They also denied reports that it had frequent personnel changes and said they did not recognize the nickname. A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice told the paper that there is “zero tolerance for bullying across the public service”. They added: “The Deputy Prime Minister leads a professional department, pushing forward important reforms, where civil servants are valued and the level of ambition is high.” It is not the first time Mr Raab has served as justice minister. He held the post between September 2021 and September 2022, when he was sacked by Liz Truss. He was widely seen as a victim of her demand for loyalty because he was an early supporter of Ms Sunak’s opponent in this summer’s Tory leadership contest. He was famously in charge of the country at the height of the first wave of Covid, standing in for then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson when the latter was in intensive care battling the disease.
