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Sir Philip Rutnam gets £340,000 payout over his claim for unfair dismissal: report

THE former Home Office chief Sir Philip Rutnam received £340,000 plus his legal costs over his claim for unfair dismissal as the government settled the case, reported the BBC.

Sources close to Sir Philip confirmed to BBC Radio 4 that he got the compensation.


The claims had been due to be heard at an employment tribunal this September.

In a statement issued via the FDA civil servants' union, which represents senior civil servants, Sir Philip said he was pleased by the settlement.

He quit the office amid bullying claims against home secretary Priti Patel, which she denied.

Sir Philip said that he had been the victim of a 'vicious and orchestrated' briefing campaign after trying to get Patel to change her behaviour.

He was earning more than £150,000 a year as Home Office permanent secretary.

The BBC report said that both the parties had jointly concluded that it is in both parties' best interests to reach a settlement at this stage.

"The government does not accept liability in this matter and it was right that the government defended the case," a spokesperson said.

Sir Philip's resignation led the Cabinet Office to launch an inquiry into whether Patel had broken the code governing ministers' behaviour.

Prime minister Boris Johnson's standards chief Sir Alex Allan's report found out that Patel's approach on occasions has amounted to behaviour that can be described as 'bullying in terms of the impact felt by individuals'.

But Johnson rejected the report and kept Patel in post. Sir Alex resigned in response.

Later, Patel apologised for her alleged behaviour, saying 'any upset I have caused was completely unintentional'.

The FDA union has launched legal action to try to get Johnson's decision overturned at the High Court.

Labour's shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds has written to Patel to ask how much taxpayers' money has been spent settling the case, the report added.

He also asked whether any other bullying cases have been opened by the Home Office since July 2019.

"This whole episode continues to raise serious questions about standards of behaviour, responsibility and leadership at the highest level of government. Patel still had very serious questions to answer about her conduct, and Johnson had shown terrible judgement," said Thomas-Symonds.

"It can't be right that his adviser on ministerial standards resigned when he found that the home secretary bullied colleagues, while the home secretary herself remained in post."

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(photo: Northamptonshire Police)

Four police officers face misconduct charges in Harshita Brella murder case

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UK police watchdogs have ruled that four Northamptonshire Police officers should face misconduct proceedings over their handling of domestic abuse allegations made by Harshita Brella, the 24-year-old Indian woman later found murdered in London. Brella’s husband, Pankaj Lamba, remains the main suspect and is believed to have fled to India.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said on Monday that its investigation found failings in how the force responded after Brella contacted police on August ( 29) last year to report abuse by Lamba at their home in Corby, Northamptonshire. She had moved to the UK only months earlier after marrying Lamba in an arranged marriage.

Lamba was arrested on 3 September ,2024 and released on police bail with conditions not to contact his wife. He was also issued with a Domestic Violence Protection Order. However, on November (14) last year, Brella’s body was discovered in the boot of a Vauxhall Corsa in Ilford, east London. Police believe she was strangled at their home days earlier, on the evening of November(10) before her body was driven to the capital.

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