According to the Daily Express, Adam Tolley QC found that Raab, who resigned in a hard-hitting letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, acted in an "unreasonably and persistently aggressive" way towards Hugh Elliott, the British Ambassador to Spain.
The Daily Telegraph reported that the bullying is said to have followed secret proposals to put Spanish boots on the ground in Gibraltar during Brexit talks in 2020. It says that allies of Raab have claimed Elliott went beyond the Cabinet-agreed position to never have Spanish officers permanently stationed in the British overseas territory.
This morning on Sky News, former British minister Jacob Rees-Mogg rounded on Elliott saying that British ambassadors needed to have a backbone.
The alleged deal over Gibraltar is said to involve Spanish officials policing the border and the airport so that the "Rock" could remain part of the Schengen Agreement on European free travel.
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John PittsThe U.K. civil service oxbridge mafias. The politicians produce policies the U.K. voters want. The civil service job is to implement them. Not Pursue there own version or resist implementation. Unfortunately the Humphrey’s seem not to understand that. And criticism of their numerous inadequacies and failures is now bullying. So the 20years it’s taken not to build hs2 at quadruple it’s original budget. And the MODs multiple cost overruns and failures . Along with other civil service triumphs. Is to be acceptable and not to be criticised..lest feeling be hurt and status ruffled. Then you wonder why nothing the state in the provides in the U.K. works.
I think the larger problem in British politics is the pursuit of dreamy-eyed, insular policies, based on poor (or ignored) research, that can't possibly restore past glory, yet ultimately serve to diminish Britain's well being and standing amongst the global community (ironically, the very opposite of the intended result). And in that pursuit, anyone who (rightfully) questions these unrealistic policies are either sidelined or even "bullied". And more ironically, even when it fails, it's hailed as a "victory". Sound ridiculous? Look at what's happened since Brexit. Form after form...
The alternative view is that Raab had the temerity to tell civil servants to do their jobs properly. This now constitutes bullying in the work place, as many other managers and employers can testify