A senior lawyer has interviewed British Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab as part of an investigation into allegations of bullying in an indication that the official inquiry could be drawing to a close.
Mr Raab was questioned by senior lawyer Adam Tolley KC, according to reports from several sources.
The inquiry has heard details from dozens of witnesses, including top departmental civil servants, and could determine Mr Raab’s political fate.
It was unclear how many times he had been interviewed or when. At the weekend, Mr Raab declined to say whether he had been questioned by Mr Tolley.
But Mr Raab, who is also Justice Secretary, told Sky’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday: “I will answer, as I said I would, all questions he’s got.”
Mr Raab denied engaging in bullying and insisted he had “behaved professionally throughout” but said he would resign if an allegation of bullying was upheld.
During the investigation, Mr Tolley would have been expected to put the allegations to Mr Raab before finalising his report.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been resisting calls to suspend his deputy during investigation, including from former Tory party chairman Jake Berry, Labour and the FDA union, which represents senior civil servants.
If the investigation proves Mr Raab engaged in bullying, Mr Sunak will again face questions about what he knew about the allegations before bringing him back into the cabinet.
Downing Street has only ruled out the Prime Minister being aware of “formal complaints”, but sources say he had been warned about his ally’s behaviour.
The eight formal complaints centre on Mr Raab’s tenures as foreign secretary, Brexit secretary and his first stint as justice secretary.
Mr Raab ordered the investigation in November after coming under pressure following numerous claims, including that he was so demeaning to junior colleagues that many were “scared” to enter his office.
