Rishi Sunak has been accused of "dither and delay" after kicking a decision on whether to sack his deputy Dominic Raab into tomorrow.
The Justice Secretary political career has been left hanging by a thread after No10 was finally handed a long-awaited report into claims about his conduct and behaviour.
Top barrister Adam Tolley KC submitted his findings to the Prime Minister this morning after five months of interviews with dozens of Whitehall staff and Mr Raab.
But the Mirror understands Mr Sunak will not issue a judgement today after spending hours holed up in No10 with a small team of aides.
Lib Dem Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain fumed: “People will be fed up with this dither and delay from Rishi Sunak.
“It feels like almost every week there is an issue with sleaze and scandal where Rishi Sunak is either implicated in himself or too weak to get to grips with it.
“People are crying out for a government that will just get on with tackling the issues that matter, not focused on saving their own skin.”
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “While the Prime Minister dithers and delays, trying to summon up the guts to sack his own deputy, working people are battling the worst cost-of-living crisis for a generation - food bills and mortgage rates are rising, wages are stagnating, and too many of us are waiting months and even years for health treatment.
“While the Tories are yet again mired in chaos, Labour is focused on cutting the cost of living, cutting crime, and cutting wasting lists with our long-term plan to give Britain its future back.”
Mr Raab was investigated over eight formal complaints involving accusations spanning three government ministries.
They cover his roles as Brexit Secretary, Foreign Secretary and his first stint as Justice Secretary before being reappointed to the role in October having left the post seven weeks earlier when Liz Truss became PM.
Mr Tolley is not thought to have ruled on whether Mr Raab was guilty of bullying - but instead presented allegations made by people who worked for the Cabinet Minister and his defence to the claims.
But one of the complainants told the Mirror: “A lot of people have gone through hell because of him.
“He’s an awful man.”
Ministry of Justice officials were said to have warned they would quit unless Mr Raab was fired.
“If he stays in the department, senior people will want to walk,” one told The Guardian.
A decision not to sanction him would be "demoralising" for staff in the department, a source added.
Mr Raab has insisted he believes "heart and soul" that he is not a bully and defended his "forthright" approach to his work.
He previously said he would resign if he was found to have bullied staff.
A No10 spokesman said tonight that Mr Raab remained in post and Mr Sunak still had confidence in his deputy.
The spokesman added: "The Prime Minister is continuing to consider the findings of the report."
He refused to confirm whether the pair had spoken during the day.
While there was no formal role for Mr Sunak's ethics tsar Sir Laurie Magnus in the investigation, the PM could consult him before delivering his verdict - although such conversations are usually kept private.
Mr Sunak was understood to be desperate to cling onto his deputy, who backed him for No10 during last summer’s hugely divisive Conservative leadership battle which briefly propelled Ms Truss to Downing Street.
Mr Raab introduced his ally at Tory Party hustings across the country, trumpeting why he thought he should become PM.
Mr Sunak was thought to be keen to repay that loyalty.
Mr Raab has held a number of top Government jobs, including Brexit Secretary, Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State.
He is in his second term as Justice Secretary after being reappointed by Mr Sunak in October. He held the role under Boris Johnson but was sacked by Liz Truss during her disastrous short-lived tenure in No10.
Mr Raab also held jobs in the department between 2015-2016 and 2017-2018.
He deputised for Boris Johnson and led the country when the ex-PM was in hospital with Covid in 2020.
But his time at the top of politics has also marred by a string of gaffes, including his failure to immediately return from his holiday in Crete when Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021.
He famously denied he'd been paddle boarding rather than returning to handle the chaotic retreat from Afghanistan - as the "sea was closed".
