PRITI Patel has said she "deeply cared" about the "wellbeing" of her civil servants in the wake of allegations of bullying made against her.
The Home Secretary has said she regrets the resignation of her former top civil servant Sir Philip Rutnam who said at the weekend he had been forced out of his job after a "vicious" campaign.
In an e-mail to Home Office staff, she thanked him for his service but said it was "now time for the Home Office to come together as one team".
Sir Philip Rutnam dramatically announced at the weekend that he was standing down as permanent secretary, claiming constructive dismissal and accusing Ms Patel of bullying her subordinates.
READ MORE: Sir Philip Rutnam quits saying he intends to sue the government
The BBC reported that in a joint email to staff written with Sir Philip’s interim successor Shona Dunn, Ms Patel insisted they cared about the wellbeing of all employees.
They expressed their gratitude to the staff for their continuing hard work and “commitment to deliver the Government’s priorities”.
Sir Philip Rutnam accused Ms Patel of bullying Home Office staff (Helen William/PA)
“We both deeply value the work that every person in this department does and care about the well-being of all our staff. It is therefore a time for us all to come together as one team,“ they wrote.
“We also recognise the importance of candour, confidentiality and courtesy in building trust and confidence between ministers and civil servants.
READ MORE: Priti Patel row: Civil service chief calls for end to leaks
“Both of us are fully committed to making sure the professionalism you would expect to support this is upheld.”
They added: “We both regret Sir Philip’s decision to resign. He had a long and dedicated career of public service for which we thank him.”
The email came as it was claimed a civil servant took an overdose after being bullied by Ms Patel and later got a £25,000 payout from the government.
The woman was shouted at, told to get lost and was dismissed from her job in the minister’s private office because Ms Patel, then employment minister, did not "like [her] face", according to legal correspondence seen by the BBC.
READ MORE: Priti Patel aide 'received £25k payout after suicide attempt over bullying'
The woman took an overdose of prescription medicine in her office and had to be taken home by her partner where she attempted to kill herself, the broadcaster reported. She spent the night in hospital.
Ms Patel is described as having acted "without warning" and with an "unprovoked level of aggression", in the woman's grievance complaint.
It is claimed the aide received a £25,000 settlement from the Department for Work and Pensions, after a claim of unfair dismissal, victimisation, harassment and discrimination in 2015 against her old boss.
The DWP did not admit liability and the case did not come before a tribunal.
Supporters of Ms Patel say she has been patronised and belittled because of her gender and race.
The Labour party has called for the home secretary to stand down while a lawyer-led “genuinely independent” inquiry is carried out into bullying allegations against her.
Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, suggested the Cabinet Office-led inquiry announced by Boris Johnson into Patel’s behaviour was not sufficiently impartial to restore public trust in the relationship between the government and the civil service.
“It doesn’t necessarily have to cross the Cabinet Office inquiry, but to restore confidence in the respect that the government has for the civil servants we want a genuinely independent inquiry,” she said.
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