Deputy PM Dominic Raab resigns after bullying inquiry

Mr Raab said he felt 'duty bound' to accept the outcome of the probe, which upheld two complaints against him

Dominic Raab said it had been a privilege to serve in government. Reuters

Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has announced his resignation from the cabinet after a long-awaited investigation found that he acted in an intimidating and aggressive way with civil servants.

Mr Raab had been under investigation over eight formal complaints about his behaviour as foreign secretary, Brexit secretary and during his first stint as justice secretary.

Two complaints against him were upheld but Mr Raab described them as “flawed” and said they set a “dangerous precedent” in his resignation letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday.

Adam Tolley KC’s investigation published on Friday concluded that Mr Raab engaged in an “abuse or misuse of power” that “undermines or humiliates” while foreign secretary.

Mr Raab’s conduct in the department had a “significant adverse effect” on one colleague and he was also found to have been “intimidating” to staff by criticising “utterly useless” work while he was justice secretary.

Mr Raab said he felt “duty bound” to accept the outcome of the inquiry but defended his behaviour.

“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work as a minister in a range of roles and departments since 2015, and pay tribute to the many outstanding civil servants with whom I have worked”, he 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.

“It has been a privilege to serve you as deputy prime minister, justice secretary and lord chancellor.”

In a letter to his departing deputy, Mr Sunak said he accepted his resignation with "great sadness".

"But it is clear that there have been shortcomings in the historic process that have negatively affected everyone involved", he said. "We should learn from this how to better handle such matters in future."

Mr Sunak filled the gap in his cabinet by promoting two longstanding allies, with Alex Chalk becoming Justice Secretary and Oliver Dowden appointed as Deputy Prime Minister.

Mr Raab said the findings would have damaging consequences for government and that setting the threshold for bullying so low "set a dangerous precedent for the conduct of good government".

This will "have a chilling effect on those driving change on behalf of your government — and ultimately the British people", he said in his letter.

He also said the report had concluded he had not once sworn, shouted or physically intimidated anyone in four and a half years.

The MP for Esher and Walton said he was “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”.

He told Mr Sunak that he remained fully supportive of him and the government.

“You have proved a great prime minister in very challenging times, and you can count on my support from the backbenches.”

A report of a months-long review by Mr Tolley into the allegations had been received by Downing Street on Thursday morning.

Mr Raab previously insisted he believed “heart and soul” that he is not a bully, but defended his “forthright” approach to his work.

Labour leader Keir Starmer accused Mr Sunak of “continual weakness” in allowing Mr Raab to resign, while also criticising the former minister’s “whining”.

“I don’t know why Dominic Raab, in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, thinks that anybody wants to hear about his whining about having to resign," Mr Starmer said. "What I think everybody wants is strong leadership and that has been palpably absent here.”

Another of Mr Sunak's senior ministers, Gavin Williamson, was forced to resign in November after bullying allegations, and the prime minister sacked Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi in January after he was found to have broken the ministerial code over his tax affairs.