Deputy prime minister Dominic Raab has resigned in the wake of allegations that he bullied staff while working as a cabinet minister.
Yesterday (20 April) the prime minister was presented with the findings of an inquiry into Raab’s behaviour as a cabinet minister across various government departments. The report is yet to be published by the government.
Allegations surfaced about Raab in November, with former staff claiming he created a “culture of fear” in their departments.
Bullying
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In a letter posted on Twitter, Raab said the inquiry dismissed all but two of the bullying allegations against him. He said these two findings were “flawed” and “set a dangerous precedent for the conduct of good government”.
“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 expects of us,” the letter said.
He said the inquiry found he had not sworn or shouted at anyone, not intentionally sought to belittle staff.
“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,” 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.”
My resignation statement.? pic.twitter.com/DLjBfChlFq
— Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) April 21, 2023
Oliver Dowden, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, has taken up the deputy prime minister role, while Alex Chalk has been named justice secretary.
James Hockin, senior associate at law firm Withers, said Raab had made a “brazen attempt… to cling on to power in the face of serious allegations of bullying”.
“In virtually any other case – whether in the public or private sector – there would have been a suspension of the person at the centre of the allegations or agreement that they temporarily step aside pending conclusion of the investigation,” he said.
“Whether it is this or ‘party gate’, the impression is that working in government is like working in the Wild West. What seems to have become acceptable practice in government wouldn’t be acceptable in most workplaces in the UK.
“Employers, including the UK government, owe a duty of care to employees and those who voice concerns over bullying in the workplace may benefit from the UK’s whistleblower protections.”
Mike Clancy, general secretary of the union Prospect, said: “There has been a toxic culture at the top of government for too long with civil servants and public trust paying the price for this chaos. The Prime Minister now needs to clean out the rest of the stables.
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“These issues go to the heart of the anger and distrust many people feel towards the way our country runs. It is time for ministers to step up and to start restoring trust both for civil servants and the good of the country.”
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