Rishi Sunak has repeatedly declined to say whether he had informal warnings about Dominic Raab’s behaviour before bringing him back into the cabinet.
The prime minister insisted he was not aware of any formal complaints, in an interview with the BBC’s Chris Mason.
He added: “I’ve been very clear that I don’t recognise the characterization of Dominic’s behaviour.”
It comes as fresh allegations emerged about the deputy prime minister’s treatment of staff.
Mr Raab was sacked as justice secretary and deputy prime minister by former PM Liz Truss, but was reappointed to those roles by Mr Sunak following his election as leader by Tory MPs.
The Guardian says it has spoken to multiple sources who claimed Mr Raab had created a “culture of fear” at the Ministry of Justice, and who alleged his behaviour with civil servants had been “demeaning” and “very rude and aggressive”.
He is now facing separate allegations about his behaviour in his previous role as foreign secretary under Boris Johnson, between 2019 and 2021.
Lord McDonald, the former top civil servant at the Foreign Office, said many colleagues were “scared” to go into Mr Raab’s office when he was foreign secretary.
“It was language, it was tone, he was very curt with people, ” Lord McDonald told Times Radio, “and he did this in front of other people, people felt demeaned.”
The peer said he “had several conversations” with Mr Raab about his behaviour, but was not aware of any formal complaints about it.
“When I worked for him, Dominic Raab was not aware of the impact of his behaviour on the people working for him, and couldn’t be made to see that impact.
“Colleagues did not complain to me formally. It was kind of their professional pride to cope. But many were scared to go into his office.
“His sort of defence was that he treated everyone in the building in the same way. He was as abrasive and controlling with junior ministers and senior officials, as he was with his private secretaries.”
He said “that’s true” when asked whether he had “informally” raised the now deputy prime minister’s conduct with the Propriety and Ethics Team in the Cabinet Office.
In his interview with the BBC’s political editor at the G20 summit in Bali, Mr Sunak was repeatedly asked if he had received informal warnings about Mr Raab’s alleged behaviour.
He declined to say, but insisted he did not recognize the accounts of alleged bullying by his deputy.
“And I also was not – and am not – aware of any formal complaints, ” he added.
He also denied appointing Mr Raab, Sir Gavin Williamson – who has quit the cabinet over bullying allegations – and Home Secretary Suella Braverman because they had supported his bid to be Tory leader, rather than their merits as government ministers.
He said he had appointed the home secretary “because I know she is committed – like I am – to getting a grip of illegal migration”.
“And she is committed to putting more police officers on our street and to cutting crime,” he added.
A spokesperson for Mr Raab said the deputy prime minster “has worked in government for over seven years as a minister or secretary of state across four departments and enjoyed strong working relationships with officials across Whitehall”.
“He consistently holds himself to the highest standards of professionalism and has never received nor been made aware of any formal complaint against him.” the spokesperson added.
