Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said today he would resign if an allegation of bullying is upheld against him.
Mr Raab, who is also the Justice Secretary, is being investigated by senior lawyer Adam Tolley KC over bullying allegations – with dozens of officials thought to be involved in eight formal complaints.
Asked about the investigation today on Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, Mr Raab said: "I’m not going to start speculating on what the outcome might be. Again, you’re asking me to comment on the subject matter."
The Justice Secretary dismissed calls to stand aside while the probe is carried out but added: "Allow me to respond in the right way at the right time, of course. Look, if an allegation of bullying is upheld, I will resign."
Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, has resisted calls for Mr Raab to be suspended or to step aside, instead saying he wanted to wait for the inquiry to conclude.
The PM has faced questions over what he knew about the allegations before appointing Mr Raab as his deputy and Justice Secretary, with Downing Street only ruling out Mr Sunak being aware of 'formal complaints'.
Mr Sunak said earlier this month: "The independent adviser is conducting his investigation; I can’t prejudge the outcome of that investigation. It’s right that it concludes.
"But as people have seen from how I’ve acted in the past, when I'm presented with conclusive independent findings that someone in my Government has not acted with the integrity or standards that I would expect of them, I won't hesitate to take swift and decisive action.
"That's what I’ve done in the past. But with regard to this situation, it's right that we let the independent process continue."
Mr Raab has denied bullying and has said he 'behaved professionally at all times'.
In an interview with The Telegraph newspaper earlier this month, senior Tory MP Mr Raab said he was confident he had always behaved professionally.
"I'm confident I have behaved professionally at all times. And I will engage with the inquiry, and of course I would not want to say anything that prejudiced it."
Asked by the newspaper if he was any more robust than former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, he said: “I think it’s difficult to compare different eras.
“But I think standards of professionalism, whether they’re in the business sector, the voluntary sector or the public sector, should involve setting high standards and zero bullying, and those two things are perfectly reconcilable."
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