FDA union brought judicial review after PM went against findings of his ministerial standards adviser
Boris Johnson has successfully fought off a high court challenge over his decision to back Priti Patel after accusations she had bullied civil servants.
The FDA union, which represents senior civil servants, brought a judicial review after the prime minister decided last year to go against the findings of his then adviser on ministerial standards in order to back the home secretary.
In a ruling released on Monday, Lord Justice Lewis, sitting with Mrs Justice Steyn, dismissed the FDA’s claim. Lewis said Johnson had not misdirected himself as to the provisions of the ministerial code when reaching his decision.
The judge said: “The question for this court is whether the prime minister proceeded on the basis that conduct would not fall within the description of bullying within paragraph 1.2 of the ministerial code if the person concerned was unaware of, or did not intend, the harm or offence caused.
“Reading the statement (made by Johnson) as a whole, and in context, we do not consider that the prime minister misdirected himself in that way.”
In an investigation into Patel’s behaviour, published in November last year, Sir Alex Allan, Johnson’s former adviser on ministerial standards, found she had not always treated civil servants with “consideration and respect”.
He concluded: “Her approach on occasions has amounted to behaviour that can be described as bullying in terms of...
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