Bullying in politics has been in the headlines both locally and nationally over the last few days - and it seems clear that the standards of behaviour of elected politicians can vary significantly.

Nationally the focus has been on former Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab who felt forced to quit the cabinet after being to have bullied civil servants in both the Foreign Office and Ministry of Justice.

It's clear that he didn't really accept the findings of the inquiry set up to look into his behaviour - and used the time he had to look at the findings to launch a broadside against the officials who, he believed, had plotted to oust him.

To be honest his claims that the civil service were trying to undermine him were without foundation and looked like the desperate last resort of a bully who had been found out!

Locally we have had the case of the leader of the Conservative group on Babergh council Simon Barrett who has been sanctioned for showing disrespect to his colleagues and officers at a planning meeting in January.

East Anglian Daily Times: Simon Barrett was found to have shown disrespect at to officers and councillors at a meeting in January.Simon Barrett was found to have shown disrespect at to officers and councillors at a meeting in January. (Image: Archant)

Again he clearly feels he has been hard done-by and that he has been punished for just expressing a view that was different to that of the officers and most other members of the planning committee.

I've read the transcripts of what he said in the planning committee in January and I have to say that when written down in front of me, it doesn't look too different to the kind of thing you would often hear in planning committees in the 1980s or 90s.

However there are two very important points we have to bear in mind before feeling too sorry for Mr Barrett.

The transcript records what was actually said. What it doesn't indicate is the way it was said - and without video it doesn't really give an indication of what the reaction was from other participants of the meeting or those members of the public watching it.

And most importantly, Messrs Rabb and Barrett really do need to keep in mind that we are no longer living in the 1980s or 90s. 

Time, and attitudes, have moved on - as things always do. Those of us who remember 1983 need to remember that is as far away now as 1943 was then!

If you want to judge how attitudes have changed, just take a look at old television programmes from the time - many shows we considered as classics are now unwatchable!

I know that in my own business things have changed dramatically - the shouting, swearing and general frustration you used to see demonstrated most days in the run-up to deadline is a thing of the past.

And any return to that kind of behaviour these days would almost certainly result in a reference to the HR department!

That is good. There is no reason at all why anyone should be made to feel uncomfortable or under unnecessary pressure at work.

People like Mr Raab, Mr Barrett or any of the other politicians both local or national who have fallen foul of these rules really do have to remember that we aren't living in a world of House of Cards (original UK version) or Yes Minister any more.

Those who have spent years studying for an important job - and expect to spend years paying off the loan to fund their education - deserve to be treated by respect by the politicians they are working with.

And if those politicians aren't prepared to offer that respect then they have probably chosen the wrong path in life!