Dominic Raab resigns – latest: Ex-deputy PM attacks ‘activist’ civil servants after bullying report

Dominic Raab has accused “activist” and “passive aggressive” civil servants of trying to block reforms like Brexit in a new interview.

Mr Raab resigned from cabinet this morning after a report upheld two claims of bullying against him and found he was “unreasonably and persistently aggressive” in a meeting while foreign secretary.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Raab charged a small group of “very activist” senior civil servants with pushing back against proposed government reforms because they don’t support them.

The former deputy PM complained that the report into his conduct did not make clear that no complaints lodged by junior officials were upheld.

He told the BBC that two instances where he was found at fault came from a “handful of very senior officials”.

Mr Raab said there was risk that a “very small minority of very activist civil servants” not in favour of the reforms were “effectively trying to block government”.

“That’s not on. That’s not democratic,” he added.

Mr Raab’s departure sparked a mini-reshuffle, with Alex Chalk, a former junior minister for the Ministry of Defence, replacing him as justice secretary, and Oliver Dowden as deputy prime minister.

Key Points

• Meet Sunak’s new deputy PM: Comprehensive kid known as ‘Olive’ who was compared to Tony Blair’s attack dog Alastair Campbell

• Raab attacks ‘activist’ and ‘passive aggressive' civil servants in new interview

• Report finds Raab ‘intimidated’ and ‘humiliated’ civil servants

• Dominic Raab replaced as justice secretary by Alex Chalk

• Dominic Raab hits out at ‘Kafkaesque’ bullying probe

• Sunak joins Raab in condemning bullying probe

• Deputy PM resigns over bullying report

Raab attacks ‘activist’ and ‘passive aggressive' civil servants in new interview

Friday 21 April 2023 17:15 , Emily Atkinson

Dominic Raab has accused “activist” and “passive aggressive” civil servants of trying to block reforms like Brexit in a new BBC interview.

In an interview with the broadcaster’s political editor Chris Mason, Mr Raab charged a small group of “very activist” senior civil servants with pushing back against proposed government reforms because they don’t support them.

The former deputy PM complained that the report into his conduct did not make clear that no complaints lodged by junior officials were upheld.

He told the BBC that two instances where he was found at fault came from a “handful of very senior officials”.

Mr Raab said there was risk that a “very small minority of very activist civil servants” not in favour of the reforms were “effectively trying to block government”.

“That’s not on. That’s not democratic,” he adds.

7 important things you might have missed from the Dominic Raab bullying report

Friday 21 April 2023 14:56 , Emily Atkinson

The report the prompted Dominic Raab‘s resignation runs to a densely packed 47 pages.

The headline is that he did bully staff and quit the governemnt over its findings.

But the report also contains a lot of interesting details about what did and didn’t go on while Mr Raab was a cabinet minister.

There are also a number of curious hints about how the deputy prime minister reacted to the inquiry itself.

Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has the details:

Oliver Dowden named deputy PM after Dominic Raab resigns over allegations – latest

Dominic Raab: Timeline of the Deputy Prime Minister's political career

Friday 21 April 2023 15:10 , Emily Atkinson

Suella Braverman wins legal battle over ‘emergency’ asylum camp at Essex military base

Friday 21 April 2023 15:18 , Emily Atkinson

Suella Braverman has won a legal battle over plans to turn a former military base into a camp housing 1,700 asylum seekers.

The home secretary declared the current shortage of asylum accommodation an “emergency” to bypass normal planning permission, and development has been started at former RAF Wethersfield without local consultation.

Braintree District Council applied for an injunction to stop the scheme and force the government to apply for planning permission in the normal way but on Friday, a judge ruled that the High Court did not have jurisdiction to decide the case.

Our home affairs editor Lizzie Dearden has this breaking story:

Suella Braverman wins legal battle over ‘emergency’ asylum camp at military base

Dowden ‘deeply honoured’ to be named deputy PM

Friday 21 April 2023 15:33 , Emily Atkinson

Newly-appointed deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden said he was “deeply honoured” to take on the role.

“I look forward to working even more closely with the prime minister as we tackle the issues that matter most to the people of this country,” he tweeted.

Tom Peck: Farewell, Raab the ridiculous: a bully to the last

Friday 21 April 2023 15:56 , Emily Atkinson

“The British people will pay.” Dominic Raab had five months to come up with some kind of dignified response to be deployed at the moment when he was confirmed to have bullied staff in multiple government departments, to the surprise of absolutely no one. And that was the best he could do.

Read Tom Peck’s latest political sketch here:

Farewell, Raab the ridiculous: a bully to the last | Tom Peck

Alex Chalk warned he inherits a ‘crisis’ from Raab

Friday 21 April 2023 16:15 , Emily Atkinson

Alex Chalk has been warned that he faces a “crisis” in the British justice system, as he prepares to take over from Dominic Raab.

The new Justice Secretary will inherit plenty of challenges, including concerns about delays in the court system and the state of the criminal justice system.

But he will also take over responsibility for Mr Raab‘s long-term controversial plan to replace the Human Rights Act.

His arrival at the Ministry of Justice saw the Law Society warn that he “inherits an even worse justice crisis than any of his recent predecessors”.

Lubna Shuja, the Law Society president, said: “The justice system is facing worsening backlogs, legal aid on the point of collapse, crumbling courts and a shortage of judges and court staff. The new Justice Secretary must get a grip on the crisis as a matter of urgency.

“It is Alex Chalk’s job to bring the justice system back to full strength and I look forward to working closely with him to fight for improved access to justice for all.”

Kirsty Brimelow, chair of the Criminal Bar Association, said her organisation wanted to work constructively with the new Justice Secretary.

“The new Secretary of State must grasp the urgency of following through the final part of the deal between the Ministry of Justice and the Criminal Bar Association. There remain insufficient barristers to prosecute and defend in trials before the courts.

“Medium and long-term reform must start if the criminal justice system is to be pulled out of crisis.”

Labour attacks Raab’s MoJ record

Friday 21 April 2023 16:37 , Emily Atkinson

Labour’s shadow justice secretary has attacked Dominic Raab‘s record in office following his resignation from the Cabinet.

Steve Reed said: “Dominic Raab has finally resigned without a word of apology for leaving the criminal justice system in tatters.

“His legacy is the longest trial delays on record, barely one in a hundred reported rapists being prosecuted, criminals dodging jail because the prisons are full and the Probation Service failing to supervise dangerous offenders, leaving the public at risk.

“After 13 years of Conservative failure, only Labour has a serious plan to cut crime.

“We will increase the number of prosecutors to put dangerous criminals behind bars, introduce specialist rape courts to speed up justice for survivors and strengthen the use of community sentences to prevent reoffending.

“That’s how Labour will prevent crime, punish criminals and protect communities.”

Meet Sunak’s new deputy PM: Comprehensive kid known as ‘Olive’ who was compared to Tony Blair’s attack dog Alastair Campbell

Friday 21 April 2023 17:24 , Emily Atkinson

Some in the Conservative party are calling it an “Olive branch”.

Rishi Sunak has sought to restore order after the resignation of his deputy prime minister in a bullying scandal by calling on one of his closest allies in politics.

Oliver Dowden - affectionately known as Olive to his Tory friends – is the prime minister’s new deputy, appointed just hours after Dominic Raab quit the cabinet.

Despite an early expertise in the attacking form of political communications that once led to comparisons with Alastair Campbell, Mr Dowden is known as one of the “nice guys” of politics. Regarded as a safe pair of hands, one of his jobs will include acting as a government spokesman when a crisis erupts.

Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell has more:

Meet Sunak’s new deputy PM ‘Olive’ - who was compared to Alastair Campbell

Lib Dem leader calls for by-election in Raab’s constituency

Friday 21 April 2023 17:41 , Emily Atkinson

There should now be a by-election in former deputy prime minister Dominic Raab‘s Surrey constituency as he is “unfit” to be an MP, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has said.

Sir Ed was speaking as he knocked on doors in the Esher and Walton constituency, just hours after Mr Raab resigned from his top level post following a bullying investigation which upheld some allegations against him.

Sir Ed said: “Dominic Raab is not only unfit to be a minister but also a Member of Parliament.

“He should resign and trigger a by-election here in Esher and Walton so his constituents can get the MP they deserve.”

The Lib Dems describe the constituency as “a knife-edge marginal” which the Tories hold from them by 2,700 seats.

Raab should have been sacked by PM, says Davey

Friday 21 April 2023 18:02 , Emily Atkinson

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has dismissed suggestions that criticism could be lodged about the investigation which upheld some bullying allegations against former deputy prime minister Dominic Raab.

Speaking in Mr Raab‘s Esher and Walton constituency, Sir Ed said: “The Conservatives decided on this complaint procedure and it has found he was guilty of bullying and intimidatory behaviour.

“He should have been sacked by the prime minister. I’m afraid this is typical of what has been going on with this Conservative government.

“There has been a number of Conservative ministers who have been found guilty of bullying incidents.

“I think this chaos in the Conservative government is one of the reasons so many people are switching away from the Conservatives and to the Liberal Democrats.”

What are Raab’s constituents saying?

Friday 21 April 2023 18:30 , Emily Atkinson

Esher and Walton voter Lynne Murray described Dominic Raab‘s resignation as “disappointing but obviously there are lots of local issues to focus on and to keep him busy up to the next election”.

Ms Murray, 43, who lives in the constituency which counts Mr Raab as its local MP, said: “You are in a very high-pressured and demanding environment.

“I understand that standards and tensions are high and that he is under a lot of pressure as people in public life are to deliver.

“I would be interested to see what the report said. It is disappointing but obviously there are lots of local issues to focus on and to keep him busy up to the next election.”

Raab’s constituent say ‘reeding frenzy’ incited by ex-deputy PM’s resignation

Friday 21 April 2023 19:00 , Emily Atkinson

Esher and Walton voter Sue Harding said she believes that a potentially damaging “feeding frenzy” has been created over Dominic Raab‘s resignation.

Ms Harding, 50, who works in marketing and who counts Mr Raab as her local MP, said: “I have always found him to be an intelligent, principled and considered man.

“I think that what is happening today is some political point-scoring for what I consider to be a dysfunctional political system that isn’t fit for purpose in the world that we currently live. I think we need some serious reform.

“I am not party to what went on and most of us aren’t. It is obviously between the people that have brought the situation against him and him (Mr Raab).

“I think that the media is having a feeding frenzy and I don’t think he is any more of a bully than anybody else who is working in the political environment.

“He is a family man with a wife and children and I think the way the media are having a feeding frenzy on this is potentially devastating for him and his family. I would say that is a bullying situation.”

Sean O’Grady: Raab quits – but his petulance and anger say it all

Friday 21 April 2023 19:30 , Emily Atkinson

You can well imagine Raab flicking through the Tolley report, vein throbbing in his forehead, pulling that smile-grimace, his tongue flicking at his lips in frustration, writes Sean O’Grady.

He sounds an angry and petulant man, with none of the sort of humility that might one day help rehabilitate him: “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.”

Opinion: Raab quits – but his petulance and anger say it all

Braverman announces new amendments to Illegal Migration Bill

Friday 21 April 2023 20:00 , Emily Atkinson

The Home Secretary has announced a number of amendments to the Illegal Migration Bill, which is designed to stop small boats of migrants from crossing the English Channel, as she looks to appease right-leaning Conservative backbenchers.

The Home Office said the amendments laid on Friday would “make clear” the UK’s domestic courts cannot apply any interim measure to stop a migrant arriving via an unauthorised route from being removed if they bring forward a legal challenge, aside from in the narrow route available under the Bill where they are at risk of serious and irreversible harm.

The proposed changes will also allow ministers to “exercise discretion in relation to interim measures issued by the European Court of Human Rights, and set certain principles under which they would make a decision whether to comply or not”, department officials said.

Home secretary Suella Braverman said: “The British public are rightly fed up with people coming to the UK through dangerous small boat crossings, and myself and the Prime Minister are absolutely committed to stopping the boats once and for all.

“The changes I am announcing today will help secure our borders and make it easier for us to remove people by preventing them from making last-minute, bogus claims, while ensuring we strengthen our safe and legal routes.

“My focus remains on ensuring this landmark piece of legislation does what it is intended to do, and we now must work to pass it through Parliament as soon as possible so we can stop the boats.”

Watch: Who replaces Dominic Raab? A look at Sunak’s cabinet after ex-deputy PM resigns

Friday 21 April 2023 21:00 , Emily Atkinson

Raab resignation: What does a deputy prime minister do?

Friday 21 April 2023 22:00 , Emily Atkinson

It is a loosely defined role but as Margaret Thatcher once said, every prime minister needs a Willie, writes Sean O’Grady

What does a deputy prime minister do?

The conduct that sent Dominic Raab to the backbenches – key points

Friday 21 April 2023 23:00 , Emily Atkinson

Former deputy prime minister Dominic Raab has resigned after an inquiry found he had acted in an “intimidating” and “aggressive” way with officials.

The 47-page report by Adam Tolley KC examines a number of incidents spanning the former minister’s tenure as foreign secretary, justice secretary and Brexit secretary.

Here PA takes a look at the key allegations – and which ones were upheld:

The conduct that sent Dominic Raab to the backbenches – key points

‘Raab mess’ destroyed trust between ministers and civil servants – think tank

Saturday 22 April 2023 00:00 , Emily Atkinson

The investigation into claims Dominic Raab bullied staff has led to a “complete breakdown” in trust between ministers and civil servants, a think tank has said.

Alex Thomas, programme director at the Institute for Government, said the inquiry has exposed “deep flaws” in the process for handling poor ministerial behaviour and that raising a complaint is still seen as “a sure-fire way to end a civil service career”.

Reacting to the report published by Adam Tolley on Friday, Mr Thomas said: “(The) system can only function if there is a high level of trust between politicians and the officials who serve them.

More on this story here:

‘Raab mess’ destroyed trust between ministers and civil servants – think tank

GB News rumours swirl as Rees-Mogg declares: ‘I don’t think Raab needed to resign’

01:00 , Emily Atkinson

Dominic Raab should not have resigned, Jacob Rees-Mogg has said, suggesting the former deputy PM “had not done anything improper.”

Mr Raab quit this morning after a report upheld two claims of bullying against him and found he was “unreasonably and persistently aggressive” in a meeting while foreign secretary.

Speaking to GB News this evening, former Cabinet minister Mr Rees-Mogg declared Mr Raab had been wrong to take such action, which he claimed set a “damaging” precedent for the role of the civil service.

More on this here:

GB News rumours swirl as Rees-Mogg declares: ‘I don’t think Raab needed to resign’

Kim Sengupta: I witnessed the Afghan evacuation scandal – Raab should have been sacked there and then

02:00 , Emily Atkinson

Junior staff with no experience of Afghanistan were left to make life-or-death decisions, writes World Affairs Editor Kim Sengupta.

I witnessed the Afghan evacuation scandal. Raab should’ve been sacked | Kim Sengupta

No 10 rejects union call for wider inquiry into ministerial bullying

03:00 , Emily Atkinson

Downing Street has rejected calls for a wider inquiry into ministerial bullying but indicated that lessons could be learned about the handling of complaints.

FDA general secretary Dave Penman had warned that misconduct by senior members of Government is more widespread than Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants to admit as he called for a wider probe into ministerial behaviour.

Mr Penman, who made the call following Mr Raab’s resignation, complained of the “inadequacy of a process that relies solely on the Prime Minister of the day to enforce standards”.

No 10 rejects union call for wider inquiry into ministerial bullying

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

04:00 , Emily Atkinson

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.

Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell has more:

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

John Rentoul: Dominic Raab’s resignation gets Rishi Sunak off the hook

05:00 , Emily Atkinson

It was a marginal decision on the facts, and the prime minister erred on the side of public opinion in requiring Dominic Raab’s resignation, writes John Rentoul. Public opinion will not be completely satisfied, because Raab was allowed to resign rather than being sacked, but that is a detail.

Dominic Raab’s resignation gets Rishi Sunak off the hook | John Rentoul

Raab conduct ‘would have brought disciplinary action in private sector’

06:00 , Emily Atkinson

Dominic Raab would have likely faced disciplinary action if he was working for a private company, an employment lawyer has said.

Caroline Baker, a solicitor at law firm GQ Littler, said the findings that Mr Raab “intimidated” and “humiliated” civil servants would have seen the former deputy prime minister facing at least a final written warning if he had been a regular employee rather than a minister.

She said: “I think he would certainly be subject to disciplinary action for this.

“Whether he was terminated or given a final written warning would depend on the employer, but let’s say it’s your CEO and they are humiliating your employees, I think they would be gone, so I think it’s untenable.”

Raab conduct ‘would have brought disciplinary action in private sector’

Watch: Timeline of Dominic Raab's career as he resigns from Cabinet over bullying claims

07:00 , Emily Atkinson

How the papers reacted to Raab’s resignation

07:22 , Matt Mathers

The resignation of deputy prime minister Dominic Raab dominated the front pages across British newspapers on Saturday.

The Independent reports on the sacking of Mr Raab who “rages” against the bullying report that forced him to resign and blamed the media.

See how the rest of the papers covered Mr Raab’s departure below:

What the papers say – April 22

Raab’s ‘activist’ civil servant comments ‘dangerous’ - union

07:54 , Matt Mathers

The general secretary of a union representing civil servants has said Dominic Raab is setting a "dangerous" precedent by accusing officials involved in his bullying investigation of acting on political grounds, and called on prime minister Rishi Sunak to "intervene".

Speaking about the former deputy prime minister, Dave Penman told Times Radio: "Though he was happy for a KC - who was Adam Tolley - to investigate, he just doesn’t like the result, and now he’s desperately trying to rescue his reputation, including (through) his spurious allegations about civil servants.

"This is where we start to get into quite dangerous territory and really the prime minister should be starting to intervene, because what Raab’s now doing is he’s saying: ‘this wasn’t just about me, this was a politically motivated group of civil servants trying to block government policy’.

"Of course he provides no evidence to support that whatsoever in his desperate attempt to defend himself."

Mr Penman accused ministers more generally of trying to "create a culture war of a ‘woke left civil service’ without any evidence", describing the service as having "both hands tied behind its back unable to defend itself" due to impartiality rules.

He added that Mr Sunak should "conduct a review of the entire process" of civil servants reporting their concerns about ministers.

Reaction to Raab bullying probe ‘will discourage future complaints’

08:30 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak and Dominic Raab’s response to the report into bullying accusations against the former deputy prime minister has made future civil service complaints more difficult, according to a think tank chief.

Hannah White, director of the Institute for Government (IfG), said "no civil servant would feel encouraged to speak out in future" and called the episode a missed opportunity for the prime minister to reinforce standards.

It comes after Adam Tolley KC’s investigation into allegations of bullying concluded Mr Raab engaged in an "abuse or misuse of power" that "undermines or humiliates" while he was foreign secretary.

Comment: Raab quits – but his petulance and anger say it all

09:00 , Matt Mathers

In the end, Raab took the slightly more dignified route of quitting rather than being publicly fired, as he once promised he would, but that’s about all he can say about this miserable denouement, writes Sean O’Grady.

Read Sean’s full piece here:

Opinion: Raab quits – but his petulance and anger say it all

Political sketch: Farewell, Raab the ridiculous: a bully to the last

09:30 , Matt Mathers

Raab had five months to come up with some kind of dignified response to being branded a bully, and this was the best he could do? writes Tom Peck.

Read Tom’s full piece below:

Farewell, Raab the ridiculous: a bully to the last | Tom Peck

I’ve seen no evidence of ‘activist’ civil servants - former perm secretary

10:00 , Matt Mathers

Lord McDonald, a former permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, said he had seen no evidence of Dominic Raab’s accusation of "activist" civil servants working against his ministerial agenda.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the peer, who worked with Mr Raab while he was foreign secretary, said: "I disagree strongly with Mr Raab.

"I think all the civil servants I saw working for Dominic Raab worked very hard for him in the way they are required to do.

"There is no Civil Service activism, there is no Civil Service passive aggression, there is no separate Civil Service agenda.

"And another key point is that serving civil servants cannot defend themselves in public, so no serving civil servant is now going to come forward and offer an alternative account because that is not allowed.

"As a retired civil servant, I can make part of the case but I was not there when these cases arose - my knowledge is imperfect - but I think it is important that the ethos, the handwork of civil servants, should be defended.

"I saw no evidence of a small group of activists trying to undermine a minister. The issue is a minister’s behaviour."

Raab didn’t listen to concerns about his behaviour - Lord McDonald

10:30 , Matt Mathers

A former top civil servant who worked with Dominic Raab as foreign secretary said he had to speak to the former cabinet minister about how he dealt with staff.

Lord McDonald, who was head of the Foreign Office between 2015 and 2020, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: "I witnessed a tough taskmaster, I witnessed a minister who knew what he wanted to do.

"Frankly, I witnessed somebody whose methods did not help him to achieve what he wanted to do, and that I raised with him more than once."

Asked whether Mr Raab listened to the issues raised with him, the peer said: "No, he disputed it. He disputed the characterisation."

Lord McDonald said the high threshold for submitting a formal complaint against ministers meant civil servants were reluctant to put their names to specific grievances.

He added: "Without that evidence, Mr Raab was able to deflect. He said, and in a way reasonably, ‘What is the evidence?’. And without being able to present names and particular detailed instances, he resisted my representations."

Lord McDonald said he did not ever suggest to Mr Raab that he was bullying colleagues as it would have been "too aggressive".

He added the two Foreign Office complaints upheld against the former deputy prime minister occurred after he had left his permanent secretary role.

Report doesn’t show examples of bullying - former minister

11:00 , Matt Mathers

Lord Swire, a former Conservative minister and ally of Dominic Raab who helped raise money for the former justice secretary’s failed leadership bid in 2019, said the report by Adam Tolley KC did not seem to show examples of bullying.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the former East Devon MP, after quoting a passage from Adam Tolley KC’s report in which the investigator said he did not find Mr Raab had intended to "upset or humiliate" with his behaviour towards staff, said: "That does not show to me bullying."

He added: "I’m actually struggling to work out why Mr Raab has actually gone. The fact is, this is a question of style."

Lord Swire denied that, in reminding a civil servant of their duties under the Civil Service code of conduct, that Mr Raab had "threatened" that employee’s career.

He said: "On this instance of Gibraltar, here we were, a senior civil servant was allegedly, according to this report, wanting to involve Spain more in those negotiations in direct contravention to what the cabinet had agreed.

"So here you have Dominic Raab as secretary of state saying, ‘Hang on a minute, you’re going beyond your brief, this is not what I said and not what the Cabinet said’.

"Now surely as head of that department, he is entitled to get extremely cross and remind civil servants of their obligations to carry out ministerial wishes under the code."

Raab would have been sacked had he not resigned - report

11:33 , Matt Mathers

Dominic Raab would have been sacked by Rishi Sunak had he not resigned after two bullying complaints against him were upheld, a report says.

The Esher and Walton MP was effectively forced out after Adam Tolley KC submitted his report to the PM, which concluded that Mr Raab had behaved in an “intimidating” and aggressive” way towards officials, sources told The Times.

“The prime minister would have sacked him,” a cabinet minister told the paper.

Envoy who nailed bully boy Dominic Raab unmasked

12:56 , Matt Mathers

A British ambassador was at the centre of one of the bullying complaints upheld against former deputy prime minister Dominic Raab, it has been reported.

Mr Raab resigned from the cabinet on Friday, following the conclusion of an investigation into multiple allegations against him.

Adam Tolley KC, the senior lawyer who led the probe, concluded the MP for Esher and Walton behaved in an “intimidating” and aggressive” way towards officials.

Full report:

Envoy who nailed bully boy Dominic Raab unmasked

Recap: 7 important things you might have missed from the Dominic Raab bullying report

13:30 , Matt Mathers

The report that prompted Dominic Raab‘s resignation runs to a densely packed 47 pages.

The headline is that he did bully staff and he has subsequently quit the government over its findings.

But the report also contains interesting details about what did and didn’t go on while Mr Raab was a cabinet minister.

Policy correspondent Jon Stone reports:

7 important things you might have missed from the Dominic Raab bullying report

ICYMI: Meet Sunak’s new deputy PM: comprehensive kid known as ‘Olive’ who was compared to Tony Blair’s attack dog Alastair Campbell

14:00 , Matt Mathers

Some in the Conservative Party are calling it an “Olive branch”.

Rishi Sunak has sought to restore order after the resignation of his deputy prime minister in a bullying scandal by calling on one of his closest allies in politics.

Oliver Dowden – affectionately known as Olive to his Tory friends – is the prime minister’s new deputy, appointed just hours after Dominic Raab quit the cabinet.

More below:

Meet Sunak’s new deputy PM ‘Olive’ - who was compared to Alastair Campbell

Rees-Mogg: ‘I don’t think Raab needed to resign’

14:53 , Matt Mathers

Dominic Raab should not have resigned, Jacob Rees-Mogg has said, suggesting the former deputy PM “had not done anything improper.”

Mr Raab quit this morning after a report upheld two claims of bullying against him and found he was “unreasonably and persistently aggressive” in a meeting while foreign secretary.

Speaking to GB News this evening, former Cabinet minister Mr Rees-Mogg declared Mr Raab had been wrong to take such action, which he claimed set a “damaging” precedent for the role of the civil service.

Full report:

GB News rumours swirl as Rees-Mogg declares: ‘I don’t think Raab needed to resign’

Raab ‘too big a talent’ not to come back - Tory peer and former minister

15:23 , Matt Mathers

Conservative peer said he thought Dominic Raab was "too big a talent" not to be back "in some capacity" following his resignation over bullying accusations.

Lord Hugo Swire told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: "I think to lose somebody who has been a justice secretary, a lord chancellor, deputy prime minister and foreign secretary at this stage is very unwise."

He recounted Mr Raab’s time standing in for Boris Johnson while the former prime minister was ill with Covid-19, saying there "were no criticisms of that at all".

"I think this is a career which has been brought prematurely to a temporary halt because I fundamentally believe that a talent such as Dominic will reappear in some place at some time," Lord Swire continued.

"It is the Government’s loss. I think he will be back in some capacity.

"I think he is too big a talent not to be."

ICYMI: Raab acted in an ‘intimidating’ fashion with ‘persistently aggressive conduct’, report finds

16:02 , Matt Mathers

Dominic Raab dramatically quit as deputy prime minister on Friday with a defiant attack on a bullying inquiry that found he had been “persistently aggressive” towards officials.

An independent investigation found Mr Raab had made what “could have been understood as a threat” and that he had “acted in a way which was intimidating”.

Full report:

Raab’s conduct was ‘intimidating’ with ‘persistently aggressive conduct’, report says

Reaction to Raab bullying probe will discourage future complaint, IfG chief says

16:30 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak and Dominic Raab’s response to the report into bullying accusations against the former deputy prime minister has made future civil service complaints more difficult, according to a think tank chief.

Hannah White, director of the Institute for Government (IfG), said “no civil servant would feel encouraged to speak out in future” and called the episode a missed opportunity for the prime minister to reinforce standards.

Full report:

Reaction to Raab bullying probe will discourage future complaints — IfG chief

Meet Sunak’s new deputy PM: comprehensive kid known as ‘Olive’ who was compared to Tony Blair’s attack dog Alastair Campbell

17:00 , Matt Mathers

Some in the Conservative Party are calling it an “Olive branch”.

Rishi Sunak has sought to restore order after the resignation of his deputy prime minister in a bullying scandal by calling on one of his closest allies in politics.

Oliver Dowden – affectionately known as Olive to his Tory friends – is the prime minister’s new deputy, appointed just hours after Dominic Raab quit the cabinet.

Full report:

Meet Sunak’s new deputy PM ‘Olive’ - who was compared to Alastair Campbell