Former COP26 president Alok Sharma denies bullying allegations
Conservative MP and former COP26 president Sir Alok Sharma has been accused of “bullying” civil servants, according to a report.
Sharma is said to have been “difficult, unpredictable and could quickly lose his temper”, according to allegations reported by Bloomberg.
Four senior officials who worked with Sharma between 2020 and 2022 claimed the minister would “insult staff’s work” and “use profanity”, as well as allegedly calling junior staff without warning to deliver criticism, Bloomberg wrote.
One junior official called a colleague in tears, and a former civil servant said they needed antidepressants and mental health support to cope in their role, it was claimed.
Issues arose during his time at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Bloomberg reported, and some behaviour supposedly continued in the United Nations COP26 role.
Two staff, who wished to remain anonymous, characterised his behaviour during the Covid pandemic in 2020 as bullying, the report said.
Complaints were reportedly made to civil service bosses at least four times in 2020, but staff did not escalate proceedings officially. An official spokesperson told Bloomberg the government has no record of any complaints.
Sharma has denied the allegations.
“I have never been made aware of any ‘informal complaints’ or otherwise from staff,” he told Bloomberg.
“The Cabinet Office has confirmed that there are no records of any informal or formal complaints across government about me. I refute strongly these allegations.
“I have worked with hundreds of officials as a government minister and always felt I maintained a good relationship with them, exemplified by seven of my BEIS private office team, those officials working most closely with me, choosing to join my COP private office alongside those I had worked with in previous ministerial roles,” he added.
The allegations come as a report is set to be published on whether deputy prime minister Dominic Raab bullied staff, which could put Rishi Sunak under pressure.
Raab has denied the allegations and said he “behaved professionally at all times.”