Rayner to Raab: ‘What’s he still doing here?’

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has come under pressure following allegations of bullying.

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner urged him to apologise for the alleged behaviour, saying a statement Raab issued today contained “no hint of admission or apology”.

She continued: “The deputy prime minister knows his behaviour is unacceptable, so what’s he still doing here?”

Raab insisted he had “engaged professionally throughout” his time in government, adding he will “thoroughly rebut and refute any of the claims that have been made”.

An investigation is to be set up after two formal complaints about Raab were submitted to authorities.

Rayner accused the government of having “no ethics, no integrity and no mandate – and still no ethics adviser”.

Raab said recruitment of a new adviser was “already underway and taking place as pace”.

He was taking PMQs this afternoon as Rishi Sunak remains in Bali for the G20 summit.

The SNP’s Kirsten Oswald raised the economic challenges facing the country ahead of the autumn statement tomorrow.

She urged the deputy PM to apologise to the public for rising inflation, adding: “If they can’t even say sorry for the mess that they’ve made, what hope do we have of them fixing it?”

She warned tomorrow’s statement would be “imposing austerity 2.0” and urged the UK Government to match the Scottish Child Payment, which was fully rolled out by the Scottish Government this week.

Raab said inflation was the “number one economic challenge we face”.

“We’ve got a plan to grip inflation, balance the books and drive economic growth,” he added.