Dominic Raab – latest news: Deputy prime minister resigns after bullying investigation

Dominic Raab has resigned from Rishi Sunak’s cabinet, following the conclusion of an inquiry into bullying allegations.

In his resignation letter to the prime minister, Mr Raab said he accepted the report by Mark Tolley KC had found evidence of bullying.

The long-serving minister said the inquiry into his behaviour had set a dangerous precedent, but that he would remain supportive of the government.

He had previously insisted he believed “heart and soul” that he was not a bully, but defended his “forthright” approach to his work.

In the letter, Mr Raab said: ““I called for the inquiry and undertook to resign, if it made any finding of bullying whatsoever. I believe it is important to keep my word.

“Whilst I feel dutybound to accept the outcome of the inquiry, it dismissed all but two of the claims levelled against me.

“I also believe that its two adverse findings are flawed and set a dangerous precedent for the conduct of good government.”

Key Points

• Dominic Raab resigns over bullying report

• Read Dominic Raab's resignation letter in full

• Raab warns of ‘dangerous precedent’ for bullying claims

BREAKING: Dominic Raab resigns as Deputy Prime Minister after bullying investigation

09:23 , Liam James

Dominic Raab has resigned as deputy prime minister after a damning report into claims he bullied civil servants was finally published.

The deputy PM has been under investigation since November over eight formal complaints about his behaviour as foreign secretary, Brexit secretary and his first stint as justice secretary.

We will bring you more on this breaking news as soon as we can.

Full report: Dominic Raab resigns after bullying investigation

10:10 , Liam James

Dominic Raab has resigned as deputy prime minister after a damning report into claims he bullied civil servants was finally published (Adam Forrest writes).

The findings of Adam Tolley KC’s independent probe in the bullying claims landed on the PM’s desk on Thursday morning, but the results were not initially revealed.

Mr Raab has denied allegations of bullying – insisting that he believes “heart and soul” that he is not a bully.

In a punchy resignation letter he said he felt “duty bound” to accept the outcome of the inquiry.

Full report from The Independent’s politics team here:

Dominic Raab warns of 'dangerous precedent’

10:06 , Liam James

Dominic Raab warned the inquiry into bullying claims set a dangerous precedent.

In his resignation letter, he said: “I called for the inquiry and undertook to resign, if it made any finding of bullying whatsoever. I believe it is important to keep my word.

“Whilst I feel duty bound to accept the outcome of the inquiry, it dismissed all but two of the claims levelled against me. I also believe that its two adverse findings are flawed and set a dangerous precedent for the conduct of good government.”

He concluded: “In setting the threshold for bullying so low, this inquiry has set a dangerous precedent.

“It will encourage spurious complaints against ministers and have a chilling effect on those driving change on behalf of your government – and ultimately the British people.”

Read Dominic Raab's resignation letter in full

10:00 , Liam James

In his resignation letter to Rishi Sunak, Dominic Raab conceded that evidence of bullying had been uncovered in a report into the deputy prime minister’s behaviour by Mark Tolley KC.

Raab & I have always got on, insists minister

09:32 , Liam James

The transport secretary said he has “always got on very well” with Mr Raab despite a slew of bullying accusations against the deputy PM.

Mark Harper added that it is “not unreasonable” for Mr Sunak to take his time reading Adam Tolley KC’s report into the allegations before deciding on his fate. And he denied that Mr Sunak’s slow response, which has seen the prime minister accused of “dithering”, shows a lack of leadership.

Mr Harper told LBC: “I think for the Prime Minister to take the time to read the report in full in detail himself … it does not seem unreasonable that that's going to take a little bit of time.

“I think it demonstrates a Prime Minister who makes good decisions based on all of the facts… Due process actually is important. Every time you rush decisions, and you don't take them properly, you don't make good ones.

“I've always got on very well with Dominic Raab, but I don't want to prejudge the outcome of this case. There have been a number of serious complaints made about Dominic Raab, which is why this inquiry was set up.”

Raab ‘has case to answer’ over Sunak’s delay

09:19 , Liam James

Dominic Raab has a “case to answer” on bullying claims because a decision to keep him in place has not already been made, the shadow health secretary has suggested.

Wes Streeting told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “It certainly tells us that there’s a case to answer and this isn’t a clear-cut decision for Dominic Raab.

“Rishi Sunak appointed him despite knowing these allegations were in the air, and why does Rishi Sunak do this, well we can see with the case of the Home Secretary too - he’s too weak to stand up to his own party and the right of his own party in particular.

“Rishi Sunak has been holed up in Downing Street reading the report and he’s got no one to blame ... He knew these allegations were in the air when he appointed Dominic Raab as Deputy Prime Minister and he has got form for weakness in appointing people to the highest offices who are not fit to hold them.”

Minister says he’s never seen Raab shout at colleagues

09:01 , Liam James

Transport Secretary Mark Harper denied he has ever seen Dominic Raab shout at a colleague.

He insisted he had “always got on very well” with the deputy prime minister personally but did not want to “prejudge the outcome of this case”.

Asked on LBC whether he had ever witnessed Mr Raab shout at a colleague, he said: “No. Look, you’re trying to draw me into that. Whatever my personal experiences are, there are people who have had serious complaints to make.”

Dominic Raab ‘called me a ‘silly b****’, lawyer who took government to court over Brexit claims

08:25 , Liam James

The lawyer who took the government to court over Brexit claims embattled Dominic Raab once called her a “silly b****”.

The deputy prime minister and justice secretary, whose fate hangs in the balance pending the outcome of a report into bullying allegations against him, saw Gina Miller as “lesser than himself,” she has claimed.

Ms Miller, who challenged the government’s Brexit plans in the Supreme Court, alleges Mr Raab abused her while the pair shared a lift after appearing on the BBC’s Today show in 2016 to talk about the case.

She told Talk TV’s Piers Morgan Uncensored: “I have had a personal experience where he was a bully to me. I was doing the Today program about the case I brought, my first case, and coming down from the show in the lift he basically called me names.

Full report can be found here:

Time taken by PM defended by Transport Secretary

07:57 , Tara Cobham

Transport Secretary Mark Harper has defended the time taken by the Prime Minister to reach a decision over the report into Dominic Raab’s conduct as “fair” to the officials who made complaints.

He told BBC Breakfast: “I think actually that’s the fair thing to do both for the complainants, who made some serious complaints, but also for Dominic Raab.

“I think for both sides in this the Prime Minister should take the time.”

Questions dodged on when PM might make decision

07:56 , Tara Cobham

Transport Secretary Mark Harper has dodged questions on when the Prime Minister might make a decision over the report into bullying allegations against Dominic Raab.

Asked to indicate a timeframe for decision-making, he told Sky News: “He’ll want to reach a conclusion as quickly as he can.”

The minister refused to be drawn on whether Rishi Sunak is minded to show the report to his ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus.

He said: “Fundamentally this is a decision for the Prime Minister about who serves in the Government.

“He’ll take that decision in the careful, meticulous way he reaches all his decisions.”

Transport Secretary refuses to speak on Raab knowing complainants’ names

07:55 , Tara Cobham

Transport Secretary Mark Harper has refused to say whether he thinks it is right that Dominic Raab knows the names of officials who have made complaints against him.

Saying that he had not been shown the report himself, he told Times Radio: “I don’t know the detail of how this inquiry has been conducted.”

Pressed on Mr Raab’s knowledge of the complainants’ names, which has been widely reported, he said: “I think Dominic Raab’s been clear all the way through this.

“He has respected the process, he has complied with the inquiry and, certainly in the interviews I’ve seen him in, he’s been very careful not to prejudge the outcome of the inquiry.”

‘Everyone knows difference between demanding bosses and bullies'

07:49 , Tara Cobham

Everyone knows the difference between a demanding boss and a bully, a civil servants’ union leader has said as the Prime Minister ponders whether to sack Dominic Raab.

Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union, also branded the delay a “farce” and a “completely unsatisfactory state of affairs” when he appeared on BBC Breakfast.

When asked whether the row was down to generational differences in workplace culture, he said: “We don’t need to redefine bullying, bullying is dealt with in workplaces up and down the country.

“There are demanding bosses and there are bullies, and everyone knows the difference.”

He added: “We don’t really know why he (Rishi Sunak) hasn’t been able to decide on the facts that were presented to him yesterday.

“It just reinforces the point of what a kind of farce this whole process is for those who raised complaints.

“Whatever the reason for that is, a completely unsatisfactory state of affairs, to be honest.”

‘Reasonable’ PM has made no decision, says Transport Secretary

07:47 , Tara Cobham

Transport Secretary Mark Harper has insisted it is “quite reasonable” for the Prime Minister not to have made a decision yet over the report into bullying allegations against Dominic Raab.

Mr Harper told Times Radio the long-running inquiry was “extensive” and Rishi Sunak would be taking it “very seriously”.

He said: “It seems to me quite reasonable that the Prime Minister would want to read the report in full himself, go through all the detail, before he reaches a conclusion.”

Column: Which will be more catastrophic – the SpaceX rocket or Raab’s career?

Thursday 20 April 2023 22:40 , Jane Dalton

At least when the rocket exploded after take-off, it was over and done with and the rolling news channels moved on to the next thing, writes Tom Peck:

Whose credibility will explode harder: SpaceX’s or Raab’s? | Tom Peck

Raab’s history of controversial claims

Thursday 20 April 2023 22:10 , Jane Dalton

Dominic Raab is no stranger to controversy. He once labelled feminists “obnoxious bigots” and said men get “a raw deal”.

In 2017 he declared that food banks are used mostly by people with temporary cash flow problems.

An ardent Brexiteer, he once called for Britain to use negotiations with the EU to scrap workers’ rights. This was all highlighted when he was appointed Brexit secretary:

Dominic Raab: who is the man now tasked with leading Brexit?

Union chief calls for complaints system reform

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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'

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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’

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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'

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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'

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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

Thursday 20 April 2023 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