Dominic Raab latest: Sunak to hire independent investigator to probe bullying claims

Britain’s economy is facing a “lethal combination of recession and runaway inflation” without intervention in tomorrow’s budget, a leading business group has warned.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) called on Jeremy Hunt to take targeted measures to ease inflation and boost growth in his autumn statement on Thursday.

Our policy correspondent Jon Stone reports:

Rishi Sunak will appoint an “independent investigator” to examine complaints made by staff who worked for Dominic Raab, but is unable to say when the probe will start.

Work is underway to find a person with “requisite experience” – in the absence of a permanent ethics adviser, after Boris Johnson failed to fill the role, No 10 said.

But a spokeswoman could not say the investigation will start by Christmas, saying: “I’m not going to put a date on it”.

Downing Street also said the PM still has full confidence in Mr Raab.

Our deputy politics editor Rob Merrick has more details:

Under fire minister Dominic Raab appeared to mouth “wan*er” at Keir Starmer at a previous session of PMQs.

Video from last week’s exchanges between the Labour leader and Rishi Sunak shows the justice secretary apparently using the swear word as he sits behind the PM.

It comes as the deputy PM faces mounting allegations of bullying, with two staff earlier today making formal complaints against him.

Raab was challenged by Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner at today’s session. When she brought up the claims Mr Raab accused her of “mudslinging”.

Dominic Raab has said a confidentiality agreement he and a former colleague signed over a historic claim of bullying was “standard” practice.

The deputy prime minister was quizzed over the episode, which dates from before he became an MP, in the Commons on Wednesday.

Jon Stone has the full story:

Dominic Raab did not apologise for what the SNP said was a “financial crisis” following Liz Truss’s so-called mini-budget, when he was challenged about it at PMQs.

SNP deputy Westminster leader Kirsten Oswald said: “Yesterday the prime minister was asked six different times to apologise for the disaster of the Tory mini-budget and the financial crisis it caused, and all six times he refused to say sorry.

“And now this morning people are waking up to the news that this Christmas they will be hit with the worst inflation in 41 years. So will the deputy prime minister stand up today and do what his boss wouldn’t – will he say sorry?”

Mr Raab said inflation was “clearly” an issue and the PM had made it clear it was “the number one economic challenge we face”.

Angela Rayner said Dominic Raab has had to ask Rishi Sunak to launch an investigation into complaints against him “because the prime minister is too weak to get a grip”.

The recruitment of a new independent ethics adviser is “taking place at pace”, Dominic Raab said after he was urged to “drain the swamp” by Labour.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner told the Commons: “No ethics, no integrity, and no mandate, and still no ethics adviser. So when will they appoint an independent ethics adviser and drain the swamp?”

The Deputy Prime Minister replied: “The recruitment of the new ethics adviser is already underway and taking place at pace.

“May I say, there is a reason that she has come to the despatch box with her usual mix of bluster and mudslinging. It is because they don’t have a plan.”

Dominic Raab is asked whether he has ever entered into a NDA in relation to a complaint against him.

“He is referring to an employment dispute that was settled before I entered the House. It wasn’t an NDA. But it did involve a confidentiality clause that was standard at the time.”

Angela Rayner told Dominic Raab “every pound hidden in tax havens is a pound lost from the pockets of working families”.

Labour’s deputy leader told Mr Raab in the Commons: “The G20 is also an opportunity to work together to tackle the economic challenges we all face.

“Yet as our international allies race to crack down on multinationals using tax havens to stash profits abroad, this Government is dragging its feet to protect their profits.

“We have a budget tomorrow where it’s briefed that tough choices will be impacting on families across Britain, does he accept that every pound hidden in tax havens is a pound lost from the pockets of working families?”

The Deputy Prime Minister replied: “We want people to come to this country to create the jobs and to generate the tax revenue, whether it’s non-dom status, which was stricter under this Government given the changes we made than under the last Labour government, whether it’s the Prime Minister’s approach to big tech companies…”

He added: “We have lowered the tax gap, the difference between the tax owed and the tax raised, to the lowest level, certainly lower than under the last Labour government and we’ll continue to do so.”

Angela Rayner brings up claims of “flying tomatoes” that Dominic Raab has faced in the bullying allegations.

Read more about the claims here: