John Prescott served as deputy prime minister under Tony Blair

Thirteen bullying complaints under Prescott

Thirteen bullying complaints under Prescott

By politics.co.uk staff

John Prescott’s government department saw 13 formal complaints made about bullying and harassment in its five-year existence, it has emerged.

Communities minister Barbara Follett admitted the complaints in answer to a written parliamentary question, but she added that none of the complaints at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister were sustained.

None of the complaints are believed to relate to Mr Prescott.

The revelations follow allegations by Christine Pratt, the head of the National Bullying Helpline, that staff in Downing Street had rung her charity for advice.

Ms Pratt struggled to substantiate her claims with hard evidence as all four of the charity’s patrons quit over breaches of the charity’s anonymity policy.

She was subsequently called a “prat” by immigration minister Phil Woolas.