Dominic Raab news – latest: Rishi Sunak ‘dithering’ as he postpones verdict on deputy’s fate

Rishi Sunak has been accused of “dither and delay” after deciding he needs more time to decide whether to sack his deputy – hours after receiving an independent report on bullying allegations against his ally.

Dominic Raab’s career was left hanging on a knife edge, as the prime minister postponed a judgment on Mr Raab’s future on Thursday.

Mr Sunak’s previous expression of having “full confidence” in Mr Raab still stood, a No 10 spokesman said, but “obviously he’s carefully considering the findings of the report before coming to a judgment”.

Mr Raab was investigated by lawyer Adam Tolley KC over eight formal complaints about his behaviour as foreign secretary, Brexit secretary and during his first stint as justice secretary.

One person involved in the process has described the review as “devastating”, while a senior government official said Mr Raab was “toast”, according to the Financial Times.

Mr Raab, who has previously said he will quit if the bullying claims are proven, has insisted he believes “heart and soul” that he is not a bully, but defended his “forthright” approach to his work.

Key Points

• Sunak accused of ‘dithering’ as he decides to sleep on decision

• Ex-Tory chair hits out at ‘outdated’ complaints system

• Rishi Sunak ‘has full confidence in deputy prime minister’

Union chief calls for complaints system reform

21:40 , Jane Dalton

The handling of formal complaints against ministers should be taken out of the hands of politicians following the drawn-out bullying investigation, a union chief says.

Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union, said a reform of the complaints process against ministers was required.

He said flagging complaints about ministerial behaviour was “an extraordinarily difficult thing to do” under the current system.

Some FDA members are behind the accusations levelled at Mr Raab.

Mr Penman said allowing the Prime Minister to act as “judge and jury” in disciplinary matters against frontbench members of his team was not a way to deal with allegations.

“There is no process for this, there is nothing in writing, you have no rights,” Mr Penman said.

Editorial: Sunak must act swiftly on Raab – and show real leadership

21:12 , Jane Dalton

The ministerial code is perfectly clear, and there is no reason, legal or moral, why politicians should be excused from the standards of behaviour expected of them. Read The Independent’s editorial here:

Editorial: Sunak must act swiftly on Raab – and show real leadership

Deputy PM ‘will not offer to quit'

20:45 , Jane Dalton

Dominic Raab has read Tolley’s report into his alleged bullying, according to ITV political editor Robert Peston, who says he understands the deputy PM believes the report does not show he breached the Ministerial Code, and so will not offer his resignation.

“Which means the PM has to decide whether to sack him.”

Another example of Tory chaos, says shadow attorney general

20:15 , Jane Dalton

Shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry has accused Rishi Sunak of lacking the courage to sack Dominic Raab as Deputy Prime Minister.

The Labour MP said: “I think it’s another example of Conservative chaos and not addressing the problems of the country.

“He’s going to spend tonight looking at the report and trying to summon up the courage to work out whether he should sack his deputy or not when really what he should be doing is focusing on a cost-of-living crisis.

“He’s got the report, read the report: if he’s a bully, sack him.”

Asked whether the Prime Minister should take time to consider the findings, Ms Thornberry responded: “A bully is a bully.”

Sunak may consult ethics tsar

19:45 , Jane Dalton

There is no formal role for Rishi Sunak’s ethics tsar Sir Laurie Magnus in the investigation, but the Prime Minister could consult him before delivering his verdict on Mr Raab - although such conversations are usually kept private.

Sir Laurie had not been appointed as the independent adviser on ministers’ interests when the investigation into Mr Raab was launched.

Union chief slams ‘farce’

19:20 , Jane Dalton

Union leader Dave Penman labelled the wait for the Prime Minister to reach a verdict a “farce”.

Mr Penman is general secretary of the FDA, a union representing senior civil servants, including some of the complainants who have accused the Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary of bullying behaviour in the workplace.

Mr Penman said: “Imagine being a civil servant who has been brave enough to raise a complaint against the Deputy Prime Minister, sitting in a government department and you’re watching this farce play out live on television, not knowing what your fate is going to be about the complaints you have raised.

“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.”

Boris Johnson ‘privately warned’ Raab about behaviour

18:50 , Jane Dalton

Boris Johnson is said to have privately warned Dominic Raab about his behaviour when the minister held several cabinet positions under his leadership. From last month:

Boris Johnson ‘privately warned’ Dominic Raab about conduct

Sunak ‘summoning up guts to sack Raab'

18:25 , Jane Dalton

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner MP accused Rishi Sunak of delaying the publication of the report while he tries to “summon up the guts to sack his own deputy”.

She said: “While the Prime Minister dithers and delays, trying to summon up the guts to sack his own deputy, working people are battling the worst cost-of-living crisis for a generation - food bills and mortgage rates are rising, wages are stagnating, and too many of us are waiting months and even years for health treatment.

“While the Tories are yet again mired in chaos, Labour is focused on cutting the cost of living, cutting crime, and cutting waiting lists with our long-term plan to give Britain its future back.”

PM has ‘full confidence’ in Raab

18:10 , Jane Dalton

A reminder ICYMI: Rishi Sunak maintains “full confidence” in his deputy while he “carefully considers” the report findings, Downing Street said this morning:

PM has ‘full confidence’ in Dominic Raab as he considers bullying report

Report ‘won’t give verdict on bullying’, leaving Sunak to judge

17:59 , Jane Dalton

The official investigation into claims Dominic Raab bullied government staff will not offer a verdict and will leave Rishi Sunak to assess whether his behaviour merits punishment, it emerged this week:

Dominic Raab report ‘won’t give verdict on bullying claims’ – leaving Sunak to decide

Decision will be Friday at the earliest

17:32 , Jane Dalton

A decision on Mr Raab’s future will not be announced until Friday at the earliest, according to the Press Association.

PM sleeps on ‘bullying’ report

17:17 , Jane Dalton

Rishi Sunak has decided he needs time to decide whether to sack his deputy prime minister – despite receiving the report into bullying allegations.

Mr Sunak was accused of “dither and delay”:

Rishi Sunak delays Dominic Raab decision as PM sleeps on ‘bullying’ report

Sunak postpones decision

17:09 , Jane Dalton

Rishi Sunak will not determine the fate of Dominic Raab as deputy prime minister today, the PA news agency is reporting.

Labour asks why Raab was not suspended during probe

16:50 , Jane Dalton

Labour MP Liz Kendall has questioned why Mr Raab was not suspended during the Tolley investigation.

“Why has it taken five months? Why hasn’t he been suspended in the meanwhile?” she told ITV News.

“These are serious allegations.

“Rishi Sunak promised the highest levels of standards and integrity in public life.

“Most people looking at this would feel he isn’t meeting his own standards.”

Raab may yet hope to save his job

16:30 , Jane Dalton

Officials close to the probe by Adam Tolley KC are said to have been “shocked” by some of the claims against Mr Raab, including staff regularly being left in tears and being sick before meetings with the deputy PM.

But expectations at Westminster are often turned on their head, and Mr Raab may still hope the findings are ambiguous enough to offer him a lifeline, writes Adam Forrest:

Will Rishi Sunak sack Dominic Raab over report into bullying claims?

No 10 tight-lipped on Sunak-Raab conversations

16:06 , Jane Dalton

Asked whether Rishi Sunak had spoken to Dominic Raab, a No 10 spokesman said: “I’m not going to to get into private conversations while the process is ongoing.

“The Prime Minister continues to consider the findings of the report.”

Sunak still contemplates decision on Raab

16:01 , Jane Dalton

Rishi Sunak is still considering Dominic Raab‘s fate as Deputy Prime Minister as he studies the findings of an investigation into whether he bullied staff, Downing Street has said.

A No 10 spokesman told reporters: “The Prime Minister is continuing to consider the findings of the report.”

Asked whether he could say whether a verdict would come on Thursday, the official said: “I’m afraid I can’t.”

He said Mr Raab remained in post and that the Prime Minister still had confidence in his deputy.

Home Office spent £370,000 settling Patel bullying claim

15:45 , Jane Dalton

It’s interesting to recall that Priti Patel was not forced to stand down when accused of bullying.

Instead, the Home Office spent more than £370,000 to settle a top civil servant’s tribunal claim in 2021, after he alleged the then home secretary had bullied him:

Home Office spent £370,000 settling Patel bullying claim by top civil servant

Raab pays for own legal defence

15:25 , Jane Dalton

The taxpayer footed an estimated £222,000 bill for Boris Johnson’s legal fees in the inquiry into whether he lied to MPs over partygate, but Dominic Raab has paid for his own legal team to defend himself against the allegations, the much-delayed register of ministerial interests shows:

Raab hired own lawyers to defend himself in bullying probe

Profile: An ‘unapologetic karate black belt who lacks the human touch'

14:58 , Jane Dalton

Dominic Raab suffers from a bit too much calm, steely determination, Sean O’Grady wrote in this observant profile of the minister in 2021:

Dominic Raab: An unapologetic karate black belt, lacking the human touch

Raab focuses on justice work

14:40 , Jane Dalton

While awaiting Mr Sunak’s verdict, Mr Raab has been focusing on his role as justice secretary, tweeting that convictions for rape have risen.

What could happen next

14:12 , Jane Dalton

How the prime minister is likely to respond, and what the report’s wider effect will be on the government:

Why was Dominic Raab under investigation, and what will happen next?

Raab could be Sunak’s third minister to go

13:45 , Jane Dalton

The allegations against the deputy prime minister could potentially result in the third departure of a senior government minister over their personal conduct since Rishi Sunak entered Downing Street in October and would undermine his efforts to revive the Conservative Party’s polling fortunes.

Gavin Williamson was forced to resign as a Cabinet minister in November after bullying allegations. And the prime minister sacked party chair Nadhim Zahawi in January after he was found to have broken the ministerial code over his openness about his tax affairs.

Here’s out report on Williamson’s resignation:

Gavin Williamson resigns amid scandal over ‘bullying’ messages

Timeline of bullying claims

13:28 , Jane Dalton

Jon Stone and William Mata look at the history of the allegations against Mr Raab:

Dominic Raab: Timeline of bullying claims against deputy prime minister

Ex-Tory chair hits out at ‘outdated’ complaints system

12:58 , Liam James

Former Conservative Party chair Sir Jake Berry attacked the “outdated” system for dealing with complaints in Westminster which has allowed Dominic Raab to continue in his job while under investigation.

Appearing on ITV’s Peston show on Wednesday night, Sir Jake, who served in the cabinets of both Boris Johnson and Theresa May, said: “It does seem to me quite wrong that when people are under these kinds of investigations of this type that they continue in their job.”

He added: “Whatever the outcome is, and we’re going to find out tomorrow, I actually think there’s a fundamental rethink required about how we deal with these sorts of allegations, both in government made against ministers and made against members of parliament.

“It’s a massively outdated system that isn’t what our constituents would expect of any of us.”

Dominic Raab report: Full statement from Downing Street

12:46 , Liam James

After Rishi Sunak received the report into allegations of bullying against Dominic Raab, a No 10 spokesperson said: “The prime minister has received the report from Adam Tolley the independent investigator. He received the findings this morning. He is considering those findings,.

“He does have full confidence in the [deputy] prime minister – that still stands. Obviously he is carefully considering the findings of the report.”

The spokesperson would not say when a response from Mr Sunak could be expected but that the prime minister would review the report “as swiftly as possible”.

Dominic Raab’s future hangs in the balance as ‘bullying’ probe report lands on Sunak’s desk

12:35 , Liam James

Dominic Raab is awaiting his fate as Rishi Sunak has received the report into bullying allegations against his deputy prime minister (Kate Devlin writes).

Downing Street confirmed that the findings of an independent investigation had landed on the prime minister’s desk on Thursday morning – with its release now expected within hours.

Mr Sunak must decide if the review by lawyer Adam Tolley KC – said to be “devastating” – is enough to sack the senior Tory cabinet minister, or ask him to resign.

The PM’s official spokesman said he was “carefully considering those findings”, but would not comment further on exactly when the report will be published.

Our politics team brings you the full story here:

Dominic Raab’s future in balance as ‘bullying’ report lands on Rishi Sunak’s desk