A former Conservative aide who defected to Reform during Tory conference was found to have bullied and harassed a colleague, an official parliamentary investigation reveals.
Robbie Lammas, who worked for then-party chairman Richard Holden MP, was investigated by Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), which upheld an allegation of bullying against him.
According to the report, seen by the Express, Mr Lammas intimidated a junior staff member and inappropriately demanded a hug after a heated confrontation last year.
The investigator found his behaviour “abused his position of authority”, leaving the woman “vulnerable, upset, undermined, humiliated and threatened” and creating an “intimidating, hostile and humiliating environment”.
A witness said Mr Lammas raised his voice, waved his arms, wrongly accused the staffer of complaining about office matters, and told her he had “sacked most of his former employees and would not be scared to sack another.”
Mr Lammas, who previously served as a special adviser in the Conservative Government and held a senior role at CCHQ, announced his defection to Reform UK on Tuesday, coinciding with the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.
Speaking to the Express at the time, he said the move was “a long time coming” and that he had “felt like the one in the corner that didn’t fit in with the rest of the tribe”.
Since then, several former colleagues have accused him of inappropriate behaviour.
One former staffer claimed “complaints were made about sexual harassment” and alleged he “found female staff members’ addresses on VoteSource [the party database] and sent cards to their homes”. Another described him as “a massive creep” and said he was “let go because he was s**t”.
The Express has seen no independent evidence to substantiate the VoteSource allegation.
Mr Lammas strongly denied any wrongdoing, telling the Express: “This complaint is a hit job from CCHQ and Richard Holden, as they are furious about my defection.”
The Reform party was approached for comment.
A parliamentary spokesperson said: “Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) operates on the basis of confidentiality for the benefit of all parties. Therefore, we cannot provide any information on any complaint, including whether or not a complaint has been received.”