masterchief_mirza
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Home Office boss quits over 'campaign against him'
MediaSir Philip Rutnam says there has been a "vicious, orchestrated briefing campaign" against him
"The top civil servant in the Home Office has resigned and said he intends to claim for constructive dismissal by the government.
Sir Philip Rutnam said there had been a "vicious and orchestrated" campaign against him in Home Secretary Priti Patel's office.
Reported tensions between the pair included claims she mistreated officials - which she has denied.
The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg said Sir Philip's move was "highly unusual".
Our political editor added: "I can't remember a senior public official taking a step like this."
Sir Philip said he received allegations that Ms Patel's conduct towards employees included "swearing, belittling people, making unreasonable and repeated demands".
He said that behaviour had "created fear and needed some bravery to call out".
It was his duty to "protect the health, safety and wellbeing" of 35,000 Home Office workers, he said, but that doing so had "created tension" between him and Ms Patel.
He said he believed his experience was "extreme" but part of a "wider pattern" in government.
Ms Patel has not yet commented on Sir Philip's statement.
Sir Mark Sedwill, cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, thanked Sir Philip for his "long and dedicated career of public service" and said Shona Dunn, who had been Mr Rutnam's deputy, will become acting permanent secretary.
He said he received the resignation "with great regret", adding: "The Home Office's vital work to keep our citizens safe and our country secure continues uninterrupted."
ImageREUTERS
ImagePriti Patel has not yet commented on Sir Philip's resignation
It comes days after the home secretary and Sir Philip released a joint statement saying they were "deeply concerned" by various "false allegations" made about Ms Patel.
Allegations the pair dismissed included reports that Ms Patel, who has been home secretary since Boris Johnson became prime minister, bullied her staff and was not trusted by MI5 bosses.
But in a statement given to BBC News, Sir Philip said: "In the last 10 days, I have been the target of a vicious and orchestrated briefing campaign."
He said allegations that he had briefed the media against the home secretary were among many "completely false" claims against him.
Sir Philip said he did not believe Ms Patel's denial of any involvement in the false claims, adding that she had not "made the efforts I would expect to dissociate herself from the comments".
Sir Philip's departure, and the manner of it, goes way beyond any normal policy problems or clashes.
He took aim not just at Priti Patel, but alluded to what he said was a "wider pattern" in government.
Add this to the resignation of Sajid Javid, the former chancellor who expressed concerns about how the government is behaving, there is mounting evidence of unhappiness with how Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his team are running things.
Certainly it is a government in a hurry, willing to rattle cages in order to get things done.
But governments who want to get things done need an effective civil service to make things happen. A very public breakdown in trust like this does not help that cause.
Indications at this early stage are that Ms Patel's position is secure. But with an employment tribunal in the offing, pressure may well build in the coming weeks.
If Sir Philip pursues his case as he says he will, exactly what happened behind closed doors may soon be out there for all to see."
...why is this screeching harpie being allowed to proliferate her unique brand of inferiority complex-driven shoulder chip politics in Whitehall? She continues to bash ball sacks and entrench herself aggressively on the front benches, while using her female and ethnic minority background to predictable effect, virtue signalling, victimhooding and positive discriminating her way through any opposition. She has colluded with Mossad outside of the writ of the British government, using her meetings to coordinate efforts to influence government policy, and is therefore a proven security risk to the British establishment. She will pursue her predetermined interests above those of Great Britain - MI5 knows this, senior civil servants know this, BJ probably knows this too now.
Home Office boss quits over 'campaign against him'
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MediaSir Philip Rutnam says there has been a "vicious, orchestrated briefing campaign" against him
"The top civil servant in the Home Office has resigned and said he intends to claim for constructive dismissal by the government.
Sir Philip Rutnam said there had been a "vicious and orchestrated" campaign against him in Home Secretary Priti Patel's office.
Reported tensions between the pair included claims she mistreated officials - which she has denied.
The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg said Sir Philip's move was "highly unusual".
Our political editor added: "I can't remember a senior public official taking a step like this."
Sir Philip said he received allegations that Ms Patel's conduct towards employees included "swearing, belittling people, making unreasonable and repeated demands".
He said that behaviour had "created fear and needed some bravery to call out".
It was his duty to "protect the health, safety and wellbeing" of 35,000 Home Office workers, he said, but that doing so had "created tension" between him and Ms Patel.
- Sir Philip Rutnam's resignation statement in full
- 'Nothing remotely normal about this resignation'
- Priti Patel 'tried to force out top civil servant'
He said he believed his experience was "extreme" but part of a "wider pattern" in government.
Ms Patel has not yet commented on Sir Philip's statement.
Sir Mark Sedwill, cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, thanked Sir Philip for his "long and dedicated career of public service" and said Shona Dunn, who had been Mr Rutnam's deputy, will become acting permanent secretary.
He said he received the resignation "with great regret", adding: "The Home Office's vital work to keep our citizens safe and our country secure continues uninterrupted."
ImagePriti Patel has not yet commented on Sir Philip's resignation
It comes days after the home secretary and Sir Philip released a joint statement saying they were "deeply concerned" by various "false allegations" made about Ms Patel.
Allegations the pair dismissed included reports that Ms Patel, who has been home secretary since Boris Johnson became prime minister, bullied her staff and was not trusted by MI5 bosses.
But in a statement given to BBC News, Sir Philip said: "In the last 10 days, I have been the target of a vicious and orchestrated briefing campaign."
He said allegations that he had briefed the media against the home secretary were among many "completely false" claims against him.
Sir Philip said he did not believe Ms Patel's denial of any involvement in the false claims, adding that she had not "made the efforts I would expect to dissociate herself from the comments".
Sir Philip's departure, and the manner of it, goes way beyond any normal policy problems or clashes.
He took aim not just at Priti Patel, but alluded to what he said was a "wider pattern" in government.
Add this to the resignation of Sajid Javid, the former chancellor who expressed concerns about how the government is behaving, there is mounting evidence of unhappiness with how Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his team are running things.
Certainly it is a government in a hurry, willing to rattle cages in order to get things done.
But governments who want to get things done need an effective civil service to make things happen. A very public breakdown in trust like this does not help that cause.
Indications at this early stage are that Ms Patel's position is secure. But with an employment tribunal in the offing, pressure may well build in the coming weeks.
If Sir Philip pursues his case as he says he will, exactly what happened behind closed doors may soon be out there for all to see."
...why is this screeching harpie being allowed to proliferate her unique brand of inferiority complex-driven shoulder chip politics in Whitehall? She continues to bash ball sacks and entrench herself aggressively on the front benches, while using her female and ethnic minority background to predictable effect, virtue signalling, victimhooding and positive discriminating her way through any opposition. She has colluded with Mossad outside of the writ of the British government, using her meetings to coordinate efforts to influence government policy, and is therefore a proven security risk to the British establishment. She will pursue her predetermined interests above those of Great Britain - MI5 knows this, senior civil servants know this, BJ probably knows this too now.
