Dominic Raab news – live: Sunak to hire independent investigator to probe bullying claims

Downing Street says PM still has confidence in his deputy amid mounting bullying claims

Full exchange: Angela Rayner grills Dominic Raab over bullying complaints at PMQs

Rishi Sunak will appoint an “independent investigator” to examine complaints made by staff who worked for Dominic Raab, but is unable to say when the probe will start.

Work is underway to find a person with “requisite experience” – in the absence of a permanent ethics adviser, after Boris Johnson failed to fill the role, No 10 said.

But a spokeswoman could not say the investigation will start by Christmas, saying: “I’m not going to put a date on it”.

Earlier, Mr Raab accused Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner of “bluster and mudslinging” as she challenged him on the bullying allegations at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Just hours before the session the justice secretary and deputy PM confirmed that he was at the centre of two formal complaints.

One of the complaints relates to the cabinet minister’s time as foreign secretary, a role he held from 2019 to 2021, while the other relates to his first spell as justice secretary from 2021 to 2022.

Key points

• Sunak to hire independent investigator to probe bullying claims
• Raab accuses Rayner of ‘bluster and mudslinging'
• Raab hit with formal complaints ahead of PMQs
• Economic situation at home ‘number one priority’, Sunak says
• UK inflation jumps to new 40-year high of 11.1 per cent
• Lifting of cap on bankers’ bonuses expected in chancellor’s autumn budget

[16 November 2022 09:25 · Zoe Tidman]

Autumn statement will be ‘based on fairness’, Sunak claims

Rishi Sunak said the decisions in the autumn statement would be “based on fairness, they will be based on compassion”.

“I am confident that when people see the set of decisions in the round, when the Chancellor has delivered his statement, they will see that we have strived incredibly hard to deliver fairness, to deliver compassion and to put the UK on a positive economic trajectory,” he said.

[16 November 2022 09:10 · Zoe Tidman]

Inflation ‘enemy we need to face down’, Sunak says

Rishi Sunak said Jeremy Hunt “rightly described” inflation as “insidious”.

“It makes people poorer. That’s what inflation does,” he said. “It’s the enemy we need to face down. I want to make sure we do that. And we do that as quickly as possible.”

[16 November 2022 09:10 · Zoe Tidman]

What can we expect from the Autumn Budget?

On that note, my colleage Joe Sommerlad has taken a look at what Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce tomorrow:

[16 November 2022 08:55 · Zoe Tidman]

Hunt will try to ‘get the country on a positive trajectory’ tomorrow, Sunak says

On the autumn budget tomorrow, Rishi Sunak explained what Jeremy Hunt would set out to achieve.

He said the chancellor’s plan would be to “get the country on a positive trajectory, put the public finances on the right footing and get debt falling”.

[16 November 2022 08:53 · Zoe Tidman]

Economic situation at home ‘number one priority’, Sunak says

We’re now onto questions from the press.

When asked what his number one challenge is, Rishi Sunak said: “My absolutely number one priority is to deal with the economic situation that we face at home”.

He said: “With more news on inflation today, it’s the number one thing on people’s mind. It’s the thing that is causing most anxiety. Opening up bills, seeing the emails come in with rising prices. And that’s why it is right that we grip it.”

[16 November 2022 08:44 · Zoe Tidman]

Economic stability ‘at heart of government agenda’, Sunak says

“Economic stability and confidence are at the heart of the government’s agenda,” Rishi Sunak said as he moved onto UK politics.

He said this would be achieve by being a “constructive and reliable member of the international community” to keep prices down.

[16 November 2022 08:38 · Zoe Tidman]

Ukraine war ‘will continue to devastate global economy’ as long as it continues, Sunak says

Rishi Sunak said that as long as the war in Ukraine continued “it poses a threat to our security and that of our allies”.

And “it will continue to devastate the global economy”, he told a press conference at the G20 summit in Bali.

Rishi Sunak speaks at the G20 summit (Sky News)

[16 November 2022 08:31 · Zoe Tidman]

Rishi Sunak speaks at G20

Rishi Sunak is now speaking at the G20 summit.

Watch here:

[16 November 2022 08:01 · Katy Clifton]

Warning of ‘lethal combination of recession and inflation’

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) warned of a “lethal combination of recession and runaway inflation” unless Jeremy Hunt acts.

BCC head of research David Bharier said: “While the Bank of England seeks to control inflation through further interest rate rises, this is a blunt instrument that fails to address the core drivers of inflation for most firms: soaring energy costs, global supply chain disruption, and rising staff costs due to labour shortages.

“Ahead of tomorrow’s autumn statement, businesses will need to see a clear plan from the Chancellor to boost business investment and growth, as well as targeted measures that ease the specific causes of inflation.

“The UK economy otherwise faces a lethal combination of recession and runaway inflation.”

[16 November 2022 07:54 · Katy Clifton]

Soaring inflation ‘government’s biggest economic failure’

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Sarah Olney said the government’s “biggest economic failure has been their disastrous attempts to get inflation down”.

She said: “Families are now struggling to get by because of this Government’s inaction and incompetence on spiralling prices.

“After inflicting so much chaos, the latest Conservative chancellor is now expecting the public to clean up their mess with grossly unfair tax rises.

“Our crumbling hospitals and run down classrooms are on the brink of savage cuts all because the Conservative party crashed the economy to fund tax cuts for the richest companies. The country will never forgive them for this.

“This week Jeremy Hunt should target the oil firms and banks making bumper profits to fill the blackhole in Britain’s finances, rather than inflicting more pain and misery on struggling households.”