Beaconsfield and Marlow MP Joy Morrissey has defended former justice secretary Dominic Raab after his resignation following bullying allegations.
Mrs Morrissey said she was “totally gutted” by Mr Raab’s resignation, whom she worked under as Parliamentary Private Secretary, and blamed a culture of “whining narcissistic victimhood”.
It comes after a government inquiry into bullying allegations found that the former deputy prime minister had engaged in “unreasonably and persistently aggressive conduct” during a work meeting whilst serving as foreign secretary.
Adam Tolley’s independent investigation into the claims against Mr Raab also found that his behaviour “involved an abuse or misuse of power in a way that undermines or humiliates”.
In a resignation statement released this morning (April 21), Mr Raab said he would continue to support Rishi Sunak’s government despite a belief that the findings were “flawed”.
He said the inquiry had dismissed all but two of the claims levied against him and said the findings showed he had not “physically intimidated, sworn or shouted at or intentionally sought to belittle anyone”.
Mr Raab added that the inquiry set “a dangerous precedent” for encouraging “spurious complaints against Ministers”.
Defending him against the allegations, Mrs Morrissey said on Twitter: “In all the time I worked for Dominic Raab as his PPS, he was professional, courteous and exceptionally hardworking.”
In a second tweet, she wrote: “Sadly, we now live in a country where the definition of bullying includes telling someone to do their job. Where the slightest upset or annoyance is indulged with endless reports and enquiries.
“Where whining, taking offence and narcissistic victimhood have become the defining characteristics of our times – as the uncomplaining and silent majority look on in disbelief.”
Her tweets attracted over 400 responses, many disagreeing with her message of solidarity with Mr Raab.
One person wrote: “Have you even read the report? You can be effective without being rude and abusing power.”
Another added: “Why do you trivialise bullying in this way? Why don’t you have empathy for those people who have been on the receiving end of bullying instead of demeaning them?”
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