Revealed: Boris Johnson minister ‘sexually harassed’ civil servant in latest Tory sleaze scandal

The Conservative Party is facing fresh allegations of sleaze as it emerges a minister who served in Boris Johnson’s government agreed to a settlement payout with a civil servant who accused him of sexual harassment.

The former prime minister and members of his cabinet were informally told about the alleged misconduct, though no formal investigation was launched by officials, The Independent understands.

The ex-minister, who remains a serving politician, eventually reached a financial arrangement with the woman this summer after she threatened legal action over what she claimed were inappropriate comments.

The revelation has led to renewed calls for Liz Truss to appoint an independent ethics adviser, amid concerns that predatory and improper ministerial behaviour was allowed to flourish during her predecessor’s time in office.

The new prime minister has previously dismissed calls for a new adviser, saying she knows the “difference between right and wrong”.

But union bosses representing civil servants working in Whitehall fear a culture of silence and “indifference to ministerial misconduct” could persist under the new administration without anyone overseeing behaviour.

It is understood that after being accused of sexual harassment, the former minister attempted to resolve the matter informally and sent a personal letter of apology to the complainant.

However, the woman pushed for an official investigation into the alleged sexual harassment, but this was not approved.

Under the ministerial code, the PM has the final say on whether to launch an investigation into allegations of misconduct made against a minister.

A senior official in No 10 told The Independent they were aware of the sexual harassment case and that they believed Mr Johnson had been privately informed of the alleged misconduct prior to the minister’s exit. Another source said that the then prime minister had been made aware by a senior member of his cabinet.

After reviewing the remarks allegedly made by the ex-minister, senior officials decided that an investigation was not warranted.

The alleged victim was unable to turn to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) as the incident took place in the context of ministerial work, whereas the ICGS can only investigate allegations of misconduct committed “by and against any member of the parliamentary community on the parliamentary estate, or elsewhere, as long as it is related to their parliamentary work”.

After her efforts to secure an investigation proved unsuccessful, the alleged victim went on to threaten legal action against the former minister.

An out-of-court settlement was subsequently agreed at the end of summer, it is understood, with no admission of wrongdoing by the ex-minister.

It’s understood that the case has not been investigated by the Conservative Party.

Another woman who had worked with the former minister claimed to The Independent that she had also experienced unwanted “off-colour” remarks from him. She said these included comments about the length of her dress, and that he found her attractive.

She said she was aware of the allegations of sexual harassment made against the individual, adding that “it was important that people understand that this isn’t a one-off” in terms of his alleged behaviour.

The Independent understands that the ex-minister denies making inappropriate remarks to either woman.

The case has raised fresh questions over the current prime minister’s willingness to address and root out ministerial misconduct – a prominent characteristic of the Johnson administration.

Ms Truss told a Conservative leadership hustings in August that she would “ensure the correct apparatus is in place so that people are able to whistleblow” – but union bosses are fearful that, without an ethics adviser, it will be “difficult” for victims of misconduct, especially civil servants, to seek justice.

Last week, the ICGS dropped a complaint made against Chris Pincher, a former minister who was accused of groping young men at a private members club, because the incident did not occur on the parliamentary estate. At least one of the alleged victims has lodged an appeal, it’s reported.

A spokesperson for the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which represents thousands of government civil servants, said there was a “lack of willingness” under Mr Johnson’s administration to investigate allegations of ministerial misconduct, “making it difficult for victims to speak out and ensure disciplinary action was taken”.

Mark Serwotka, the PCS general secretary, added: “By choosing not to appoint an independent ethics adviser, Liz Truss appears to show the same indifference to ministerial misconduct as her predecessor.”

Across Westminster, various sources have spoken of a culture of “cover-ups”, in which the inappropriate behaviour of ministers is “swept under the carpet”.

Whereas procedures are in place for reporting and investigating MPs accused of misconduct, ministers are not held to the same levels of scrutiny when the complaint is raised by a civil servant.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards says it “has no authority to investigate complaints about how government ministers carry out their ministerial responsibilities”.

Labour’s Jess Phillips, who has advocated for greater transparency in handling complaints across Whitehall, said there was a “clear gap in the systems for civil servants working with ministers”.

“We have seen over the past year a crisis in standards and cover-ups and it is simply not fair on victims or safe for staff in Westminster and Whitehall if different systems for complaint create such gaps in treatment and outcomes,” she said.

“The only focus should be on creating a safe work environment for all, not on who your friends and allies are. These gaps must be ironed out and I have no doubt they can be if there is a will to do so.”

A government spokesperson said: “We take allegations of misconduct extremely seriously and there are robust procedures in place to raise concerns. All ministerial appointments also follow established processes.”

Mr Johnson did not respond to requests for comment.

This article was amended on 5 October 2022 to describe the circumstances in which civil servants can access the ICGS. It previously said civil servants could not access the scheme. It was further updated on 7 October 2022 to clarify that the complainant was unable to turn to the ICGS because the alleged incident took place in the context of ministerial work.