London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 30, 2025

Raab bullying probe another ticking time bomb under PM

Raab bullying probe another ticking time bomb under PM

Days after the prime minister sacked his party chairman, another staffing time bomb is ticking under his government.

Ministers tell us privately they expect Rishi Sunak's deputy, Dominic Raab, to be the next senior figure to be shown the door by the prime minister.

But there is also a growing focus on what the prime minister knew when he appointed Mr Raab as his deputy.

Downing Street has repeatedly said Mr Sunak was not aware of formal complaints. There is no denial that informal issues were raised.

We've been told by well-placed sources that it was an open secret that there were concerns about Mr Raab's conduct.

One figure, familiar with the situation in a department in which Mr Raab worked, said simply: "Everyone knew".

A minister added: "Everyone in Westminster, I mean everyone, has known about this for ages. It's no secret. And anyone who says they haven't has chosen not to listen."

This person concluded: "He should have gone ages ago."

A former cabinet minister told us there was a palpable sense of dread in one department when Mr Raab took over under a previous administration.

It raises the question of how much Mr Sunak ought to have known at the point he appointed Mr Raab last October.

The prime minister has always insisted, as he did here under repeated questioning in a BBC interview in November, that he didn't know of any "formal" complaints about Mr Raab when he appointed him his deputy.

Following the BBC interview, a series of formal complaints were made, after Mr Sunak publicly encouraged them to be, and the inquiry by the KC Adam Tolley was set up.

Mr Raab is now the subject of eight formal complaints. The trade union the First Division Association, which represents civil servants, has said it understands dozens of people are involved in those complaints.

These span several years and a number of government departments.

Team Raab says he wants to make his case and will see this process through, playing down suggestions he might fall on his sword.

But there's a second problem for Mr Sunak and Mr Raab: The extent of the complaints which have been made.

One serving minister told the BBC the prime minister will find it hard to keep Mr Raab in his job, when an inquiry into his behaviour reports.

The minister said it was hard to ignore the number of people who had complained about the deputy prime minister's conduct.

The inquiry, which is speaking to witnesses right now, means people, including those with the strongest views and most arresting personal experiences of working with Mr Raab, are very reluctant to talk publicly about it.

But we wanted to share with you what people who have worked for Mr Raab, serve alongside him in government and in the Conservative Party are saying to us privately.

And explore why it is that the prime minister appears to have a persistent human resources problem: A party chairman sacked, a loyal supporter in Sir Gavin Williamson, a former minister, resigning over bullying allegations he said he refuted, and now this.


'It's going to be massive'


Mr Raab has told the BBC he is confident he has "behaved professionally throughout" but made "no apologies for having high standards".

His allies insist he is "cracking on with the day job".

Mr Raab was the most loyal ally during Mr Sunak's first - and doomed - attempt to become prime minister.

Was Mr Sunak blinded by a desire to repay Mr Raab's loyalty? Or is it right that he puts real weight on formal complaints, rather than the ever vibrant currency of Westminster gossip?

The simple truth is that after a few weeks of Nadhim Zahawi's fate being the government's oxygen snatcher, the fate of Mr Raab has now taken its place.

And that is prompting irritation.

"There isn't much sympathy for him, but due process must be followed," a senior minister says.

That due process is likely to last a few more weeks yet.

"I've never seen this side to his personality. He's always been courteous to me," another minister reflects before adding "while I am surprised by it, it clearly can't be ignored, given the alleged scale of it."


'The next Me Too'


Many are also privately pondering how different this investigation is compared to the one into Mr Zahawi, which took less than a week.

That was about establishing a paper trail, or the lack of one, about how much, or little, he'd told various bosses about his tax affairs.

The inquiry into Mr Raab rests much more on how behaviour is perceived.

One figure who would like to see the back of Mr Raab fears it is a big leap from someone who might be difficult to work with to bullying.

Others are more confident.

"Bullying is going to be the next Me Too," one Conservative MP says, in reference to the widespread and worldwide revelations of sexual harassment in recent years.

"It's going to be massive. And all this has such an inevitability about it."


November 2022: Was Rishi Sunak aware of Dominic Raab complaints?


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
×