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| Dominic Raab lashes out at 'flawed' bullying inquiry as he quits | |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Dominic Raab has resigned as justice secretary and deputy prime minister after an inquiry into allegations of bullying. | Dominic Raab has resigned as justice secretary and deputy prime minister after an inquiry into allegations of bullying. |
| The five-month probe, by a senior lawyer, was set up by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after complaints about Mr Raab's behaviour as a minister. | The five-month probe, by a senior lawyer, was set up by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after complaints about Mr Raab's behaviour as a minister. |
| In a letter to Mr Sunak, he said he would resign if the inquiry "made any finding of bullying whatsoever". | In a letter to Mr Sunak, he said he would resign if the inquiry "made any finding of bullying whatsoever". |
| He said the inquiry "dismissed all but two of the claims levelled against me". | He said the inquiry "dismissed all but two of the claims levelled against me". |
| Mr Raab said two findings that went against him were "flawed" and "set a dangerous precedent for the conduct of good government". | Mr Raab said two findings that went against him were "flawed" and "set a dangerous precedent for the conduct of good government". |
| LIVE: Dominic Raab resigns | LIVE: Dominic Raab resigns |
| Raab: Karate black-belt who is no stranger to controversy | Raab: Karate black-belt who is no stranger to controversy |
| The report on the inquiry by senior lawyer Adam Tolley KC is yet to be published by the government. | The report on the inquiry by senior lawyer Adam Tolley KC is yet to be published by the government. |
| Mr Raab's political fate had been hanging in the balance for more than 24 hours after the prime minister received the report from Mr Tolley on Thursday morning. | Mr Raab's political fate had been hanging in the balance for more than 24 hours after the prime minister received the report from Mr Tolley on Thursday morning. |
| The resignation of Mr Raab - one of Mr Sunak's key supporters during the Conservative leadership contest last year - means the prime minister will need to appoint a new justice secretary. | The resignation of Mr Raab - one of Mr Sunak's key supporters during the Conservative leadership contest last year - means the prime minister will need to appoint a new justice secretary. |
| Mr Tolley was investigating eight formal complaints of bullying against Mr Raab, who was appointed deputy prime minister and justice secretary last October. | |
| The bullying complaints, which involved 24 people, relate to Mr Raab's previous periods as justice secretary and foreign secretary under Boris Johnson, and his time as Brexit secretary under Theresa May. | |
| Mr Sunak has been under pressure to explain what he knew about the allegations before reappointing Mr Raab as to the cabinet. | Mr Sunak has been under pressure to explain what he knew about the allegations before reappointing Mr Raab as to the cabinet. |
| Coming out fighting | |
| Mr Raab pulled no punches in his resignation letter. He made that clear that, while he accepted the outcome of the inquiry, he did not agree with the findings against him. | |
| He said ministers "must be able to give direct critical feedback on briefings and submissions to senior officials, in order to set the standards and drive the reform the public expect of us". | |
| While he apologised for any "unintended" stress caused, he attributed this to the "pace, standards and challenge" he brought to the Ministry of Justice. | |
| "In setting the threshold for bullying so low, this inquiry has set a dangerous precedent," Mr Raab wrote. | |
| "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." | |
| His main argument appears to be that ministers need to be able to give direct critical feedback, and exercise direct oversight, over their civil servant officials. | |
| One question now is whether he decides to take any further action. | |
| He has punchily accused some civil servants of "systematic leaking of skewed and fabricated claims" and claimed a senior official initiated a "coercive removal" of some of his private secretaries last year. | |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Dominic Raab | Dominic Raab |