James Cleverly Has Insisted That Steve Barclay Is Not A Bully

James Cleverly has denied claims that his cabinet colleague Steve Barclay is a bully.

The health secretary is facing allegations about his treatment of staff just days after the resignation of Dominic Raab following a report into bullying claims against him.

The Guardian reported that civil servants informally complained to the Department of Health’s top mandarin about how they were treated by Barclay, while senior officials privately spoke of “bullying” and other “bad behaviour”.

A source close to the minister told HuffPost UK: “No complaint has been made and the allegations are untrue.”

Appearing on Sky News this morning, Cleverly, the foreign secretary, rejected the accusations against Barclay.

He said: “I’ve worked with him on a number of occasions.

“He has made a statement making it absolutely clear that there have been no reports.

“His statement is clear and completely unambiguous, and I am completely convinced that that is accurate.” 

A Department of Health spokesperson said: “The department has not received any formal complaints relating to the behaviour of its ministers.

“Any complaints, relating to ministers or members of staff, would be investigated in line with departmental guidance.”