United Kingdom

A row has broken out after Boris Johnson’s adviser on the ministerial code resigned in the wake of the prime minister standing by the under-fire home secretary, Priti Patel, despite a long-awaited official inquiry finding evidence that she bullied civil servants.

Sir Alex Allan’s findings based on the cabinet office investigation concluded that Patel’s approach “amounted to behaviour that can be described as bullying” – noting instances of shouting and swearing – and that she had breached the ministerial code, although her actions may have been “unintentional”.

But Johnson, who is the sole arbiter of the rules, set himself on a collision course with his adviser’s conclusion by deciding that the ministerial code had not been breached, prompting Allan’s resignation on Friday. Patel herself issued an apology, saying: “I am sorry that my behaviour in the past has upset people. It has never been my intention to cause upset to anyone.”
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“He is reassured that the home secretary is sorry for inadvertently upsetting those with whom she was working. He is also reassured that relationships, practices and culture in the Home Office are much improved. As the arbiter of the code, having considered Sir Alex’s advice and weighing up all the factors, the prime minister’s judgement is that the ministerial code was not breached.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/nov/20/priti-patel-boris-johnson-bullying-report-findings