LABOUR called on under-fire Home Secretary Priti Patel today to face Parliament over explosive allegations of bullying levelled against her from within at least two government departments.

The Home Office’s most senior civil servant, Sir Philip Rutnam, resigned on Saturday after accusing Ms Patel of orchestrating a “vicious” campaign against him, lying about her involvement in it and creating a climate of fear among her officials.

In a statement, he also alleged that Ms Patel’s campaign against him had included “false” claims that he had briefed the media against her.

Mr Rutnam also said: “I believe these events give me very strong grounds to claim constructive, unfair dismissal and I will be pursuing that claim in the courts.”

It was reported by the Mirror and the BBC that a formal complaint had been made against Ms Patel when she was employment minister and that “neither her spokesman, the Department of Work and Pensions nor the Cabinet Office have denied it.”

Labour leadership contender and shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said that Ms Patel has a “duty” to face MPs in the Commons over the “allegations made about her own conduct.”

He also called for Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill to start “an immediate investigation” into the circumstances surrounding Mr Rutnam’s shock resignation.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell suggested that Prime Minister Boris Johnson suspend Ms Patel and launch an independent investigation into the bullying allegations.

When asked if Ms Patel could stay in her post, told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge: “I can’t see it. It’s bizarre.”

Some Tory MPs have come to Ms Patel’s defence, among them Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who said she was “extremely courteous” in her dealings with colleagues.

Nusrat Ghani, who was sacked as a minister by Mr Johnson last month, claimed that the criticism of Ms Patel had sexist overtones, adding that among “men, [leadership] is seen as a fantastic skill and for women sometimes it’s seen as challenging.”

Ms Patel quit as international development secretary in 2017 after being summoned by then PM Theresa May over unauthorised secret meetings with officials in Israel, including the country’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

It was reported at the time that they were discussing plans for British foreign aid funding to be paid to the Israeli military.