Jacob Rees-Mogg was criticised on Tuesday after he claimed civil servants complaining about bullying by Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab were being too 'snowflakey'.

One civil service union called on Rishi Sunak to distance No 10 from the comments. 

At least 24 civil servants are now involved in formal complaints against the Tory minister, according to reports. 

Mr Raab denies being a bully, and, so far, Mr Sunak has refused to suspend him. 

READ MORE: Dominic Raab facing 'at least 24' bullying complaints

Mr Rees-Mogg said it was “completely sensible” for Mr Raab to remain as Mr Sunak’s deputy.

The former Brexit opportunities minister told Sky News: “I think we’ve got to be slightly careful about the bullying allegations.

“We mustn’t be too snowflakey about it. People need to be able to say this job has not been done well enough and needs to be done better.

“It’s a very difficult line to judge. It’s not a straightforward issue in most cases.

"It’s how did somebody react, what did somebody say, is it reasonable to demand from senior and well-paid professionals a level of good service? And then you have to judge whether that line has been overstepped.”

READ MORE: Dominic Raab: Deputy PM insists he always ‘behaved professionally’

Dave Penman, the general secretary of the FDA union representing senior civil servants, said: “Even by Rees-Mogg’s standards this is outrageous.

“A former leader of the House trivialising bullying that we know has ruined lives and careers.

“Not only should he be ashamed of himself but his leader and party should distance themselves from this.”

Labour’s shadow Cabinet Office minister Florence Eshalomi added: “It speaks volumes that Jacob Rees-Mogg is seeking to belittle the serious claims of bullying and intimidation that have been made against the Deputy Prime Minister.

“He should be ashamed of himself. If Rishi Sunak was serious about his zero-tolerance approach, he would distance himself and his party from Jacob Rees-Mogg’s remarks.”

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Last week, Mr Raab insisted he is “always mindful of the way I behave”.

“I’m confident I behaved professionally throughout, and of course the Government takes a zero-tolerance approach to bullying,” he told the BBC.

The investigation centres on when Mr Raab was foreign secretary, Brexit secretary and during his first stint as justice secretary.

Last year, Lord McDonald alleged Mr Raab was so demeaning and abrasive to junior colleagues that many were “scared” to enter his office.

“Colleagues did not complain to me formally, it was kind of their professional pride to cope, but many were scared to go into his office,” the crossbench peer told Times Radio.

“His sort-of defence was that he treated everybody in the building in the same way. He was as abrasive and controlling with junior ministers and senior officials as he was with his private secretaries.”