London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Dominic Raab says he would resign if bullying claims upheld

Dominic Raab says he would resign if bullying claims upheld

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has said he would resign if an inquiry finds he has bullied civil servants.

A senior lawyer is investigating eight complaints of bullying against Mr Raab, who was appointed deputy prime minister and justice secretary last October.

When asked if he was a bully, on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Raab replied "no", saying he had always "behaved professionally".

He told Sky News "if an allegation of bullying is upheld, I would resign".

Speaking on the BBC, Mr Raab said: "I am confident I behaved professionally throughout​."

Asked whether there should be "more plain speaking in politics", he replied: "Yes, absolutely."

It was right for ministers to "challenge assumptions and test ideas" when working with civil servants, he added.

Antonia Romeo, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice, has spoken to the Tolley investigation, the BBC understands


The bullying complaints 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.

In November the prime minister appointed Adam Tolley KC to investigate the allegations of bullying against Mr Raab.

At least three senior civil servants who worked with Mr Raab have given evidence to the inquiry into his behaviour as witnesses.

The BBC has found that other civil servants who allegedly planned to file complaints did not after learning they would have been identified to Mr Raab as part of Mr Tolley's inquiry.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Raab said he would "learn lessons as we go" over his dealings with civil servants.

But added: "I think for the lion's share of the time civil servants and ministers work very effectively together."

Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union - which represents civil servants - dismissed Mr Raab's comments.

Mr Penman told the Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg show: "The picture he paints is that everything is fine in the civil service and the relationship between ministers and civil servants is OK.

"That's not the picture civil servants speak of, that's not their experience."

The FDA has found one in six civil servants had seen unacceptable workplace behaviour by a minister in the past year.

The findings came from the union's annual survey of senior civil servants, which also found 69.3% of respondents said they had no confidence in the current complaints system.

The survey was conducted over four weeks leading up to 13 January and had 650 respondents. The headcount of the senior civil service is around 7,000.


Pressure on PM


Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called for Rishi Sunak to suspend Mr Raab during Mr Tolley's investigation.

The prime minister has said he will wait for the outcome of the inquiry before taking any action.

Mr Sunak has been under pressure to explain what he knew about the allegations before reappointing Mr Raab as to the cabinet.

In November, the prime minister repeatedly declined to say whether he had informal warnings about Mr Raab's behaviour before bringing him back into government.


Political future


Mr Tolley is not expected to report his findings for several weeks and the prime minister will decide the justice secretary's political future when the investigation concludes.

Privately, many Conservative MPs, including ministers, have told the BBC they fear the allegations could yet cost Mr Raab his job.

Mr Raab was justice secretary and deputy prime minister when Boris Johnson was succeeded by Liz Truss.

She sacked him, but he was reappointed to those roles when Mr Sunak entered Downing Street in October.

Mr Raab previously served in the cabinet as foreign secretary from 2020-21 and Brexit secretary in 2018.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×