Dominic Raab’s staff ‘were offered mental health help’ amid concerns over ‘culture of fear’

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab‘s staff at the Ministry of Justice were reportedly ‘offered mental health help’ over concerns about his behaviour towards civil servants.

Shortly after Mr Raab was sacked by Liz Truss in September, the MoJ’s HR department provided psychological support – specifically related to working with him, The Times reported.

Sources close to Mr Raab are said to have not recognised the claim that staff had been ‘offered mental health help’ after working with him. They said all civil servants are offered wellbeing support as standard. 

During his first stint, the Secretary of State of Justice was reportedly nicknamed ‘The Incinerator’ and is said to have angrily thrown tomatoes.

It follows claims that Ministry of Justice staff were offered a ‘route out’ of the department when Mr Raab was reinstated as Justice Secretary amid apparent concerns over his past behaviour in the role.

Mr Raab is alleged to have presided over a ‘culture of fear’ during his previous stint there, with anonymous civil servants claiming he acted in a ‘demeaning’, ‘rude’ and ‘aggressive’ manner, with one branding him a ‘bully’.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab is facing a series of claims that he mistreated civil servants amid reports he angrily threw tomatoes and has been nicknamed ‘The Incinerator’

On one occasion, he is said to have hurled tomatoes from a Pret a Manger salad across a table in a fit of pique because he ‘wasn’t happy with the way he was being briefed’. 

Mr Raab has also reportedly earned himself ‘The Incinerator’ tag because he ‘burns through’ staff so quickly. 

A spokesman for the Deputy PM dismissed the allegations as ‘complete nonsense’ and said he ‘always acts with the utmost professionalism’.

Last night more accusations about Mr Raab’s behaviour emerged dating back to his time as Brexit Secretary in 2018.

Mr Raab was reinstated as Justice Secretary and made Deputy PM by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Raab, Rishi Sunak and Kemi Badenoch pictured in the Commons in October

A ‘formal expression of concern’ was sent to the Cabinet Office about his conduct but no further action was taken, according to The Observer. 

However fellow Tories rode to Mr Raab’s defence, with MP Helen Grant saying she had witnessed a ‘very decent’ Minister with ‘high professional standards’ when working with him when he was Foreign Secretary.

Tory MP Eddie Hughes also said he had never seen Mr Raab be rude to anyone during his time in the housing or Brexit departments, adding: ‘He’s very hard-working and expects others to be too.’