British Secretary of State Dominic Raab is taking on the duties of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, now in hospital with serious corona symptoms. Who is Raab?
Raab will “take over the Prime Minister’s duties” as appropriate, the government said in a statement.
Johnson replacement should be as seamless as possible and ensure that the cabinet continues to function smoothly, experts say. Raab is not expected to change the current course of that cabinet significantly. For example, he is not authorized to appoint or dismiss ministers.
It is still unclear what should happen if Johnson is out of the running for more than a few days. The unwritten British constitution and cabinet rules do not provide clear indications for this.
Raab is best known as’Brexiteer ‘
Raab, 46, started his career as a lawyer. He worked, among others, at the British Foreign Office, as head of a team dealing with delivering war criminals to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
He was elected as a Conservative in 2010 in the House of Commons and joined the Eurosceptics on the right wing of the party, including Boris Johnson. Prime Minister David Cameron saw Raab, who was considered a young talent within the party, as a possible bridge to the Eurosceptic faction and appointed him as Deputy Secretary of State for Justice.
In the run-up to the 2016 Brexit referendum, Raab actively campaigned for the political movement Vote Leave.
Stepping up to May Brexit deal
Under Cameron’s successor Theresa May, he first entered a cabinet. As Secretary of State for Brexit, he negotiated the Withdrawal Agreement with the EU that would come to be known as “May’s deal.” Raab submitted his resignation four months later, because he believed the agreement contained “fatal errors.”
His stepping up strengthened Raab’s image as a principles-driven Brexithavik. He argues, among other things, that the UK does not have to pay the ‘divorce payment’ of around EUR 44 billion to the EU.
After May’s departure, Raab attempted to succeed her as Conservative Party leader, but he stranded early and pledged his support to Johnson. He became prime minister and gave Raab one of the most coveted portfolios in the British cabinet: Foreign Affairs.
Johnson trusts Raab more than Gove
Raab was not the only possible replacement for Johnson. Conservative heavyweight Michael Gove, who finished third in last year’s leadership election, was also an obvious choice as Secretary of State.
However, Gove is less trusted by the Prime Minister, as he sabotaged Johnson’s attempt to succeed David Cameron in 2016. That betrayal is forgiven, but not forgotten, 10 Downing Street sources say to British media.
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