In a shocking development, Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister of the United Kingdom, has resigned from his position following an inquiry into allegations of bullying during his time as Secretary of State for Education. The news has come as a huge blow to the government, which has already been grappling with a number of issues, including the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit. This article will provide an overview of the events that led up to Raab’s resignation and explore the implications of this high-profile departure for British politics.
After the conclusion of an inquiry into bullying allegations, Dominic Raab has resigned as the deputy prime minister and from Rishi Sunak’s cabinet. The report, conducted by senior lawyer Adam Tolley KC, was received by Sunak on Thursday, and the findings were under consideration since. Following the outcome of the inquiry, Mr Raab submitted his resignation letter to the Prime Minister, clarifying that he had called for the inquiry and had pledged to resign if any findings of bullying were discovered. He believed it was crucial to keep his word, and therefore he resigned.
Mr Raab said in a statement, “It has been a privilege to serve you as Deputy Prime Minister, Justice Secretary, and Lord Chancellor. I am grateful to have worked in various roles and departments since 2015 and extend my tribute to all the civil servants with whom I have worked.” While accepting the outcome of the investigation, he contested the two negative findings, terming them flawed and setting a harmful precedent for good governance.
Downing Street is yet to publish the complete inquiry report. Mr Raab warned that the report’s findings could have severe implications for the government. He expressed regrets if his challenge, standards, and pace resulted in unintentional stress or offense to any officials of the Ministry of Justice. However, he added that the public expects ministers to work on their behalf with a challenging attitude.
He expressed concerns that the investigation had set the bar too low for bullying, saying that it would spur the filing of frivolous complaints against ministers, and have a chilling effect on those driving reforms on the government’s behalf. He said that ministers must be allowed to exercise direct oversight when negotiating on behalf of the British public. Otherwise, it would lead to the loss of the democratic and constitutional principle of ministerial responsibility. Secondly, ministers ought to provide direct critical feedback on briefings and submissions to senior officials to establish standards and motivate reforms.
Mr Tolley concluded that Mr Raab had not once exhibited abusive behavior towards anyone in his tenure of four and a half years, nor had he ever physically intimidated, belittled or yelled at anyone. He maintained that whilst critical feedback had to be provided within reasonable boundaries, Mr Raab’s approach was always reasonable.
In conclusion, Mr Raab believed that Mr Tolley’s findings had set a dangerous precedent since the threshold for bullying was too low. It is expected that his resignation would spur additional questions about the Conservative Party’s attitude towards bullying and harassment in the workplace.
