Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Former civil service head says Johnson 'needs to reflect and make a decision' on Priti Patel bullying report

A former head of the civil service has said that the Priti Patel bullying report is with the prime minister and Johnson 'needs to reflect and make a decision' on it.

Sir Mark Sedwill told MPs on the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee that the prime minister had started consulting Sir Alex Allan, his independent adviser on ministers' interests, about the fact-finding review by the time he left his post in September.


"I don't know the exact date of when that part of the process was submitted to the PM, but it was under way, and it's with him as I understand it now," he said.

"The process was: establish the facts, have Alex Allan consider it, because the prime minister wanted his advice, and the prime minister needs to reflect and make a decision."

He also suggested the full report might never be published, to protect the confidentiality of those interviewed as part of the inquiry.

A Cabinet Office inquiry was launched eight months ago when Sir Mark was cabinet secretary into the allegations home secretary Priti Patel bullied staff.

The probe was to investigate whether Patel had breached the ministerial code - the official rulebook for government ministers.

Labour has previously called for the report to be published 'without further delay'.

A spokesman for the PM told the BBC that he was not yet ready to publish the findings as it is an 'ongoing process'.

"Once we are in a position to make public the prime minister's conclusions then we will do so, but we are not at that point yet," said the PM's official spokesman.

In February, Sir Philip Rutnam, the top civil servant in the Home Office, resigned, saying he had been the target of a "vicious and orchestrated briefing campaign".

More For You

Ambanis-Getty

Billionaire businessman Mukesh Ambani with his wife and founder chairperson of the Reliance Foundation Nita Ambani during the wedding reception ceremony of actor Amir Khan's daughter, Ira Khan on January 13, 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)

Ambanis set to acquire minority stake in Hundred’s Oval Invincibles

THE OWNERS of the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Mumbai Indians have reportedly secured a deal to acquire a 49 per cent stake in Oval Invincibles, a franchise in England’s Hundred competition.

Reports on Thursday stated that Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), which owns Mumbai Indians, emerged as the successful bidder.

Keep ReadingShow less
trump-white-house-getty

peaking at a press conference, Trump confirmed that all those aboard both aircraft had died and cited pilot error on the military helicopter as a factor in the crash. (Photo: Getty Images)

Trump blames diversity policies for Washington air collision

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Thursday blamed diversity hiring policies for a mid-air collision between an airliner and a military helicopter over Washington’s Potomac River, which left 67 people dead.

Speaking at a press conference, Trump confirmed that all those aboard both aircraft had died and cited pilot error on the military helicopter as a factor in the crash. However, he focused on diversity policies under former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, claiming they prevented qualified employees from being hired at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Keep ReadingShow less
Crackdown on ‘fake news’ sparks dissent in Pakistan

A journalist holds a banner during a protest in Islamabad on Tuesday (28)

Crackdown on ‘fake news’ sparks dissent in Pakistan

PAKISTAN criminalised online disinformation on Tuesday (28), passing legislation dictating punishments of up to three years in jail and prompting journalist protests accusing the government of quashing dissent.

The law targets anyone who “intentionally disseminates” information online that they have “reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest”.

Keep ReadingShow less
India shifts defence strategy while balancing western ties and Russian legacy

India produces some military hardware but still relies heavily on imports. The BrahMos missile system featured in India’s 76th Republic Day parade in New Delhi last Sunday (26)

India shifts defence strategy while balancing western ties and Russian legacy

INDIA’S efforts to pare back its reliance on Russian military hardware are bearing fruit after the courting of new Western allies and a rapidly growing domestic arms industry, analysts said.

At a time when Moscow’s military-industrial complex is occupied with the ongoing war in Ukraine, India has made the modernisation of its armed forces a top priority.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pushkar Singh Dhami

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the law promotes 'equality.' (Photo: X/@pushkardhami)

India's Uttarakhand implements common civil code

THE INDIAN state of Uttarakhand has begun implementing a common civil code to replace religious laws, a move that has raised concerns among minority Muslims about a possible nationwide rollout by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s BJP has long advocated for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) to standardise laws on marriage, divorce, and inheritance across India. On Monday, Uttarakhand became the second Indian state to enact such a law.

Keep ReadingShow less