PRITI VICIOUS
Priti Patel’s top civil servant QUITS with astonishing attack on Home Secretary over ‘vicious campaign against him’
A SENIOR Whitehall mandarin quit yesterday, accusing ministers of waging a “vicious and orchestrated campaign” against him.
Sir Philip Rutnam, Permanent Secretary at the Home Office, fired a parting broadside at his boss Priti Patel — branding her a liar and bully.
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And he gave notice he will sue the Government for constructive and unfair dismissal.
The shock TV announcement followed a wave of furious bust-ups between the £180,000-a-year civil servant and his frustrated political master.
They began after anonymous sources accused the Home Secretary of “shouting and swearing”, belittling people and overseeing a culture of fear in her department.
Ms Patel’s allies hit back saying Sir Philip and his team dragged their feet on immigration and crime reform, thwarted staff moves and undermined her in Cabinet.
Sir Philip, 54, was named by No10 sources as one of three unhelpful civil servants targeted for the chop for frustrating the work of a newly elected government.
Yesterday he declared he did not believe Ms Patel’s denial of involvement in the alleged campaign to undermine her top civil servant.
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The announcement comes after revelations he was on a “s*** list” of permanent secretaries No10 wants replaced.
It was claimed they are at odds with Tory ministers and advisers who have been buoyed by Mr Johnson’s landslide election win.
Sir Philip said: “In the last ten days, I have been the target of a vicious and orchestrated briefing campaign.
“It has been alleged that I have briefed the media against the Home Secretary. This along with many other claims is completely false.”
He added: “The Home Secretary categorically denied any involvement in this campaign to the Cabinet Office. I regret I do not believe her. She has not made the efforts I would expect to dissociate herself from the comments.”
Sir Philip claimed he was asked by Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill to “effect a reconciliation” with Ms Patel.
He added: “Despite my efforts to engage with her, Priti Patel has made no effort to engage with me.”
Sir Philip Rutnam's resignation statement in full
The top mandarin announced he had quit live on BBC News. He said:
"I have this morning resigned as permanent secretary of the Home Office.
I take this decision with great regret after a career of 33 years.
I am making this statement now because I will be issuing a claim against the Home Office for constructive dismissal.
In the last ten days, I have been the target of a vicious and orchestrated briefing campaign.
It has been alleged that I have briefed the media against the Home Secretary.
This - along with many other claims - is completely false.
The Home Secretary categorically denied any involvement in this campaign to the Cabinet Office.
I regret I do not believe her.
She has not made the efforts I would expect to dissociate herself from the comments.
Even despite this campaign I was willing to effect a reconciliation with the Home Secretary, as requested by the Cabinet Secretary on behalf of the Prime Minister.
But despite my efforts to engage with her, Priti Patel has made no effort to engage with me to discuss this.
I believe that these events give me very strong grounds to claim constructive, unfair dismissal - and I will be pursuing that claim in the courts.
My experience has been extreme but I consider that there is evidence that it is part of a wider pattern of behaviour.
One of my duties as permanent secretary was to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of our 35,000 people.
This created tension with the Home Secretary, and I have encouraged her to change her behaviours.
I have received allegations that her conduct has included shouting and swearing, belittling people, making unreasonable and repeated demands - behaviour that created fear and that needed some bravery to call out.
I know that resigning in this way will have very serious implications for me personally. The Cabinet Office offered me a financial settlement that would have avoided this outcome.
I am aware that there will continue to be briefing against me now I have made this decision, but I am hopeful that at least it may not now be directed to my colleagues or the department.
This has been a very difficult decision but I hope that my stand may help in maintaining the quality of government in our country, which includes hundreds of thousands of civil servants loyally dedicated to delivering this government's agenda.
I will make no further comment at this stage."
Sir Philip, whose career spans 33 years, revealed he was offered a “financial settlement” by the Cabinet Office but rejected it in order to resign publicly and “call out” Ms Patel’s conduct.
He said he “received allegations” Ms Patel’s conduct had included “shouting and swearing, belittling people, making unreasonable and repeated demands, behaviour that created fear and needed some bravery to call out”. Ms Patel’s allies last week called claims she was cutting Sir Philip out of meetings “total b******s”. They said he failed to turn up to a security meeting with her last week adding: “He’s cut himself out.”
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In a joint statement last week, Ms Patel and Sir Philip said they were “deeply concerned” by “false allegations” that the Home Secretary is distrusted by intelligence chiefs and bullied staff.
Sir Philip — appointed in 2017 — was due to continue in the role until the completion of a standard five-year tenure in April 2022. His deputy Shona Dunn will become acting permanent secretary.
Labour leadership hopeful Lisa Nandy said: “It’s time for the Government to come clean on the scale of bullying by ministers and advisers.”
THE SUN ON SUNDAY SAYS
Britain must be governed by elected ministers – not bleating bureaucrat like Sir Philip Rutnam
IS Britain governed by elected ministers or holier-than-thou civil servants?
Bolshy mandarins like Sir Philip Rutnam too often believe they are really running the country.
His decision to quit and go to war on former boss Priti Patel revealed the type of breathtaking arrogance which triggered this showdown in the first place.
As the highest ranked civil servant in the Home Office Sir Philip should be a model of probity, diplomacy and restraint.
Yet his unprecedented public outpouring of vitriol would have seemed extreme from the victim of a two-footed tackle in the Manchester derby.
Sir Philip had reportedly resisted the Home Secretary’s challenging timetable for reforms. This even earned comparisons with former Chancellor Phil “Spreadsheet” Hammond, another stick-in-the-mud Eeyore. But though senior civil servants should advise ministers discreetly, ultimately they must do their bidding.
The Government won its large majority on a manifesto of change. It cannot be ruled by Sir Humphreys, employing every trick in the book to delay and frustrate those elected to enact the will of the people.
Sir Philip is a £180,000-a-year knighted bureaucrat who will no doubt end up with a gold-plated pension far beyond the dreams of ordinary workers.
Instead of bleating he should face the reality of the situation.
If he can’t or won’t do the job, the Government has to get someone who can.
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