Sir Gavin Williamson has denied fresh allegations of bullying following claims he told a senior civil servant to “slit your throat”.
The Cabinet member is facing increased pressure to quit after the Guardian reported he made the remarks in front of other civil servants in a meeting while he was defence secretary.
On another occasion he told them to “jump out of the window”, the aide claimed, who alleged Sir Gavin had “deliberately demeaned and intimidated” them on a regular basis.
Civil servants reported Sir Gavin's behaviour unofficially to the MoD’s head of human resources and took contemporaneous notes of the alleged incidents, the newspaper reported.
Sir Gavin told The Telegraph in a statement: "I strongly reject this allegation and have enjoyed good working relationships with the many brilliant officials I have worked with across government. No specific allegations have ever been brought to my attention."
A Cabinet Office spokesperson added: "The Cabinet Office has not received notice of any formal complaints about Gavin Williamson's behaviour from his time at the Ministry of Defence or any other department."
Sir Gavin is already facing an investigation into alleged “bullying and intimidation” towards former chief whip Wendy Morton over a series of expletive messages he sent expressing his anger at not having been invited the late Queen’s funeral.
Today Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said the new allegation, if true, is "utterly unacceptable" and that “we are all sackable at some point”.
Asked on Sky News if Sir Gavin will still be in government by Christmas, he said he “suspects the answer is yes” because the investigation is likely to take a while.
Mr Stride also declined to say whether Sir Gavin is a “good bloke” during an interview on Times Radio.
He said: "I think Gavin is somebody who has particular talents and a particular understanding of the parliamentary party.
"I can see why… he has a seat at the Cabinet table."
It came as Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper suggested Rishi Sunak had done "grubby political deals" regarding both Suella Braverman and Sir Gavin Williamson.
The Prime Minister reappointed Ms Braverman as Home Secretary just six days after she was forced to quit over a security breach.
He also handed Sir Gavin a Government job despite being warned that he was under investigation for alleged bullying.
Ms Cooper told BBC Breakfast: "In both cases, this really looks like Rishi Sunak has just done grubby political deals that aren't in the national interest.
"It really looks like we have got more of the same. That is not good enough."
Sir Gavin was defence secretary from November 2017 until he was sacked in May 2019 after a leak from the national security council.
No 10 said yesterday the Prime Minister had “full confidence” in the Minister without Portfolio.
The PM has said he would not be “passing judgment” until after an “independent investigation”, understood to be the inquiry by the Tory party.
