London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jan 13, 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
Former Special Forces Blast Defense Ministry for Revealing Sensitive Details
Celebrity Responses to California Wildfires: Charity, Criticism, and Controversy
The Wildfires of Los Angeles: A Devastating Impact on Celebrities and California's Leadership
Tragic Loss: Teenager's Death Sparks Community Reflection in Bedford and London
UK Government Proposes Cap on Resale Ticket Prices to Combat Touts
Greenland's Future Caught in Diplomatic Crossfire Between Trump and Europe
EU Prepared to Lead Support for Ukraine Amid US Uncertainty, Says Estonian Prime Minister
Brompton E-Bike Component Diverted to UK Military Drone Production, Causes Delays
Romanian Gang Convicted of Human Trafficking and Exploitation in Dundee
Persistent Cold Snap Grips the UK: Severe Frost and Snow Disrupt Daily Life
Germany Faces Alarming Rise in Homelessness, New Report Shows
China’s Appetite for Salmon: A Game Changer in Global Seafood Markets
Russian Bots Allegedly Amplified NATO Critic Prior to Croatian Election, Researchers Reveal
Armenia Considers EU Membership Referendum Amid Strained Ties with Russia
French Finance Minister Explores Pension Reform Compromise to Secure Budget Agreement
Armenia Considers EU Referendum Amid Growing Rift with Russia
New Wildfire Ignites in Los Angeles as Region Battles Devastating Blazes
The Espionage Unraveled: A Russian Spy Network's Intricacies in the UK
U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Trump's Bid to Delay Sentencing in Hush Money Case
UK Financial Markets Remain Calm Amid Rising Government Borrowing Costs
Stellantis Achieves UK Electric Vehicle Sales Mandate Amid Factory Closure
TikTok Faces Potential Ban in the United States Amid Security Concerns
Pound Plummets to 14-Month Low Amid Concerns Over UK Borrowing Costs
Tensions Rise Over Planned Pro-Palestinian March in London
Bomb Scare in Central London: Abandoned Car Sparks Panic Near Regent Street
Police Seek Suspect in Antisemitic Incident at Liverpool Street Station
Regulatory Reprimand for London Charity Over Fundraising for Israeli Soldier
The Duchess of Sussex Mourns Devastating Loss of Beloved Rescue Dog
From Chairman to Controversial Politician: Rupert Lowe's Journeys in Business and Politics
Metropolitan Police Halts Pro-Palestine March Near BBC Due to Proximity to Synagogue
Inside Warwick Hospital: A Glimpse into the NHS's Battle Against Winter Pressures
Chappell Roan: A Synth-Pop Sensation Emerges as BBC Sound Of 2025 Winner
Search Intensifies for Missing Aberdeen Sisters Eliza and Henrietta Huszti
Pioneering Drug Consumption Room Opens in Glasgow
Ryanair Initiates Legal Action Against Disruptive Passenger in Landmark Case
Former Brexit Negotiator Oliver Robbins Appointed Top Civil Servant at UK Foreign Office
British Hiker Found Deceased Amidst Dolomites Search: Investigation Underway
Pound Falls as UK Borrowing Costs Reach Financial Crisis Levels
Italian Journalist Cecilia Sala Released from Iranian Detention
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Faces Allegations of Childhood Sexual Abuse by Sister
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Denies Sister's Allegations of Sexual Abuse
UK Markets Under Pressure as Gilt Yields Surge
Arrest Made in Connection to Stabbing of Iranian Journalist in London
Arrest Made in Fatal Drive-By Shooting Outside London Church
Parliamentary Suspension Over Racist Remarks Highlights Tensions in UK Politics
Debate Intensifies Over Call for Child Abuse Inquiry Amidst Musk's Comments
Mark Zuckerberg's U-Turn: Moving Toward Free Speech on Facebook and Instagram, For a Change
Britain's authorities' support for pedophiles has gone insane
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has finally announced his resignation from a role he should never have held in the first place
This is what is left of the oceanfront homes in Malibu, California.
×