London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 08, 2025

Inquiry 'found Priti Patel broke behaviour rules'

Inquiry 'found Priti Patel broke behaviour rules'

A draft report concluded in the summer that Home Secretary Priti Patel had broken rules on ministers' behaviour, sources familiar with the contents say.

The Cabinet Office began an inquiry into her conduct after Sir Philip Rutnam, the most senior Home Office official, resigned in February.

Sir Philip - who is suing for constructive dismissal - alleged staff felt that Ms Patel had "created fear".

Ms Patel has always strongly denied allegations of bullying.

The report, carried out by the government's independent adviser on standards, Sir Alex Allan, has not been published.

But one source said it had concluded that the "home secretary had not met the requirements of the ministerial code to treat civil servants with consideration and respect".

They added that the investigation had found evidence of bullying, even if it had not been intentional.

Another source who saw the report called it "unambiguous in stating that Priti Patel broke the ministerial code and that the prime minister buried it".

A spokesman for the home secretary said she had always denied the allegations and that there had never been any formal complaints made against her.

What is the ministerial code?


It's a government document setting out "expected standards" of behaviour in office, which include "consideration and respect" for civil servants and other colleagues.

The code says "harassing, bullying or other inappropriate or discriminating behaviour" will not be tolerated.

It adds that ministers are "personally responsible" for how they act - and that they can stay in office "for so long as they retain the confidence of the prime minister".

The code is not legally binding but, according to the Institute for Government think tank, there is growing pressure for it to become so.

A different government source has suggested that the report also paints an unflattering picture of how Ms Patel was sometimes treated.

The report is understood to have looked at Ms Patel's behaviour at three different government departments - the Home Office, Work and Pensions and International Development.

The evidence gathering was completed several months ago, but Downing Street has delayed giving a verdict.

The prime minister is the ultimate arbiter of the ministerial code, and there is no requirement on the government to publish Sir Alex's report.


Sir Philip Rutnam quit as permanent secretary to the Home Office in February


The BBC understands there have been conversations in government this week about how to manage the situation, with suggestions that Ms Patel may be given a reprimand, or be asked to apologise, but keep her job.

It is possible Boris Johnson's decision could be revealed as early as Friday.

Normally if a minister breaches the code they are expected to resign. But earlier this week former Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill suggested there could be a "wider range of sanctions", telling MPs: "I don't think it should be binary between let off or sacked."

He confirmed then that the report was already "with" Mr Johnson.

Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA senior civil servants' union, said "thousands" of civil servants would be asking what "message" it would send if the government suggested Ms Patel did not have to resign over a "little bit of bullying".

He described the system as not "fit for purpose", adding: "We need an independent process that's not relying upon a prime minister making a political judgement rather than judging based on the evidence."

For Labour, shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds called for Sir Alex's report to be published immediately, adding: "These revelations could not be more serious.

"This has all the hallmarks of a cover-up from the prime minister and raises fundamental questions about his judgement."

But several Conservative MPs have offered Ms Patel their support.

Tom Tugendhat tweeted that Ms Patel was popular "across" the party because she was "hardworking, determined and has been very kind to many".

Another Tory MP, Julie Marson, said the home secretary was doing a "huge job", adding: "Like many women operating in a man's world, you have to be strong and decisive."

A government spokesperson said: "The process is ongoing and the prime minister will make any decision on the matter public once the process has concluded."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
US Prosecutors Gained Legal Approval to Hack Telegram Servers
Macron Faces Intensifying Pressure to Resign or Trigger New Elections Amid France’s Political Turmoil
Standard Chartered Names Roberto Hoornweg as Sole Head of Corporate & Investment Banking
UK Asylum Housing Firm Faces Backlash Over £187 Million Profits and Poor Living Conditions
UK Police Crack Major Gang in Smuggling of up to 40,000 Stolen Phones to China
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Trump Proposes Farm Bailout from Tariff Revenues Amid Backlash from Other Industries
FIFA Accuses Malaysia of Forging Citizenship Documents, Suspends Seven Footballers
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
A Dollar Coin Featuring Trump’s Portrait Expected to Be Issued Next Year
Australia Orders X to Block Murder Videos, Citing Online Safety and Public Exposure
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
×