- Sunday, March 09, 2025
By: India Weekly Staff
In a major blow to prime minister Rishi Sunak, his close aide and deputy prime minister Dominic Raab on Friday (21) resigned following allegations that he bullied staff members while working as a Cabinet minister across different UK government departments.
Sunak had been handed the independent report into allegations made by several civil servants on Thursday (20) and a decision on Raab, who is also the UK justice secretary, was anticipated ever since.
In his resignation letter posted on Twitter, Raab, 49, revealed the report into his conduct had upheld two claims against him.
However, he did call them “flawed” and claimed they set a dangerous precedent of a low threshold for bullying for the conduct of good government.
“Whilst I feel duty bound to accept the outcome of the inquiry, it dismissed all but two of the claims levelled against me,” Raab said.
“I also believe that its two adverse findings are flawed and set a dangerous precedent for the conduct of good government,” he said.
“In setting the threshold for bullying so low, this inquiry has set a dangerous precedent. It will encourage spurious complaints against ministers, and have a chilling effect on those driving change on behalf of your government – and ultimately the British people,” he added.
The outgoing minister pointed out that the review, carried out by independent investigator Adam Tolley KC, showed he had “not once, in four and a half years, sworn or shouted at anyone, let alone thrown anything or otherwise physically intimidated anyone, nor intentionally sought to belittle anyone” – referring to some of the allegations that were doing the rounds in the media over the course of the investigation.
In his letter addressed to Sunak, Raab said, “I called for the inquiry and undertook to resign, if it made any finding of bullying whatsoever. I believe it is important to keep my word.”
Raab, however, warned that the findings will encourage “spurious complaints” against ministers, and have a chilling effect on those driving change on behalf of the government and British people.
The Tory MP for Surrey in south-east England said ministers should be able to exercise direct oversight with respect to senior officials over critical negotiations.
“I am genuinely sorry for any unintended stress or offence that any officials felt, as a result of the pace, standards and challenge that I brought to the Ministry of Justice. That is, however, what the public expect of ministers working on their behalf,” said Raab.
The Oxford and Cambridge University law graduate, who worked as a solicitor before embarking on a political career, was among the frontline Conservative MPs who was seen by Sunak’s side as he campaigned to become the party’s leader and Britain’s first Indian-origin prime minister last year.
(PTI)
