London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Dominic Raab: Rishi Sunak accused of delay over bullying probe into deputy PM

Dominic Raab: Rishi Sunak accused of delay over bullying probe into deputy PM

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been accused of delaying a decision on the future of his deputy Dominic Raab.

A lawyer-led inquiry into bullying allegations against Mr Raab was widely expected to be published today.

But it is now understood that will not happen, prompting opposition parties to accuse the PM of "dithering".

Mr Sunak needs to decide whether Mr Raab, one of his closest allies, has broken ministerial rules and must be sacked or resign.

The PM received the inquiry's findings at around 11:30 BST, with No 10 saying earlier it would be published "as swiftly as possible".

Senior figures had also been briefed to expect a decision on the same day the report was received.

The BBC has been told Mr Raab has seen the full report, but has not spoken to the prime minister.

Mr Raab, who is also justice secretary, denies bullying staff and says he always "behaved professionally". He is facing eight formal complaints about his behaviour as a minister.

Senior lawyer Adam Tolley KC was appointed by the prime minister to investigate the allegations in November. But it will be for Mr Sunak to decide whether Mr Raab has broken ministerial rules and what action to take.

Somebody who advised Mr Raab in a senior role in one department told the BBC: "This waiting only extends the anxiety for those who were brave enough to step forward and speak out, particularly those who have had to continue working with Raab at the Ministry of Justice.

"The PM's prevarication makes it feel more likely that the whole thing, the last five months of agony for Raab's subordinates, will end in a whitewash."

Shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry called on Mr Sunak to "stop dithering and delaying" over Mr Raab's fate.

"If he's a bully, he should go - and the prime minister really should be able to read the report, make up his mind, and get on with it," she added.


'Farce'


The Liberal Democrats also accused Mr Sunak of "dither and delay".

The party's chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said: "It feels like almost every week there is an issue with sleaze and scandal where Rishi Sunak is either implicated in himself or too weak to get to grips with it."

And Dave Penman, the boss of the FDA union representing senior civil servants, said making those who raised complaints wait another day showed the system was a "complete farce".

He said: "No-one knows what is going to happen now, there are no rules associated with any investigation, there are no rights for anyone who raises a complaint.

"People have just got to sit and watch telly to try and find out what has happened about very serious bullying allegations they might have made."

Speaking to the BBC's Newscast, Sir Alex Allan - who conducted an inquiry into bullying allegations against former Home Secretary Priti Patel - said the delay suggested the findings of the report could not be "completely clear cut".

"Otherwise he [the prime minister] would have come out with a decision one way or the other," he added.

The former ethics adviser also said having the prime minister decide if Mr Raab had breached rules, rather than the author of the report or the No 10 ethics adviser, was not "very satisfactory".


Ultimate decision


There are conversations taking place in government circles about what will happen next if the justice secretary leaves his position.

If he resigns, or is sacked, that would trigger a reshuffle of Mr Sunak's cabinet.

Some senior figures in government are bracing for the report to be damning, and feel he might have no choice but to go.

However, the ultimate decision lies with the prime minister and a final judgement has not been made yet.

The complaints against Mr Raab, involving at least 24 people, related to his previous periods as justice secretary and foreign secretary under Boris Johnson and his time as Brexit secretary under Theresa May.

The MP for Esher and Walton was sacked as justice secretary and deputy prime minister when Mr Johnson was succeeded by Liz Truss.

However, he was reappointed to the two roles when Mr Sunak entered Downing Street in October.

The prime minister has been under pressure to explain what he knew about the allegations before reappointing Mr Raab to the cabinet.

He has repeatedly declined to say whether he had informal warnings about Mr Raab's behaviour before bringing him back into government.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×