"Dominic Raab's resignation letter was about as reluctant and unkind as it gets"

Harassment is the scourge of every workplace. The end result is that everyone feels like they're walking on eggshells. As far as I can tell, Raab thinks that's the way to run a department, writes Chris Bryant

Raab acts like he's always been the victim (

Image: PA)

Bullies never accept that they have done something wrong. They say other people are too sensitive. They claim they are just a "demanding" boss and expect "high standards". Or, as Dominic Raab put it, they claim that other people have set the threshold for bullying too low.

But bullying is the scourge of all workplaces. It takes many forms. You don't have to throw things or yell to be a bully. Some bullies are just plain sneaky towards those who work for them, or they pick on a team member and isolate them. Some keep everyone on their toes by praising them in public and blaming them in private. The end result is that everyone feels like they're walking on eggshells. As far as I know, Raab thinks that's the way to run a department.

I couldn't disagree more. Overwhelmed, fearful and anxious staff will never perform at their best.

Raab does not understand what those who complained went through (

Picture:

UK PARLIAMENT/AFP via Getty Imag)

It's no secret. Westminster has a bullying problem. Politics is based on power structures and staff are often terrified of complaining. Some MPs have a very high staff turnover. Many never employed anyone before coming to Parliament. Yet, despite many years of demanding, there is virtually no training available on how to be a good employer.

Raab's resignation letter was about as reluctant and unkind as it gets. No apologies, no understanding of what those who complained went through. Just a moan, like he was always the victim - which is always the bully's version of events.

But it also reveals something much more important. The whole system is down. The rules for ministers are weaker than for regular MPs. They are not enforced by a truly independent figure, because the only person who decides whether a minister stays or leaves is the prime minister. If Raab had behaved towards Commons staff as he did towards civil servants, he could have faced much harsher penalties. The independent complaints and grievances system could have led to him being suspended from the House and facing a by-election.

Yet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants to keep the system as it is, which shows a worrying weakness. It's as if Sunak had learned nothing...