Panic on the banks of the Thames. British Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab was ousted from the government on Friday for terrorizing his teams to the point of harassment. For the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, of whom this 49-year-old convinced Eurosceptic was a close ally, it is a blow. The successor to Boris Johnson, mired in scandals, had indeed promised a government of integrity. 20 minutes review the case.
What is blamed on Dominic Raab?
An independent report delivered to the Prime Minister on Thursday found that Dominic Raab, also Minister of Justice, had morally harassed civil servants in previous ministerial positions. “I had asked for this investigation and had undertaken to resign if it established facts of harassment, whatever they may be. I believe it is important to keep my word, ”wrote Dominic Raab in a letter to the Prime Minister and posted on Twitter.
This investigation had been launched following eight complaints concerning his behavior when he was Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Brexit or during a previous visit to the Ministry of Justice. According to Dominic Raab, the report, which has not yet been made public, “dismissed all but two complaints”.
The British daily The Guardian reported in November that Dominic Raab’s judicial appointment had been a source of anguish for many civil servants, with some considering resigning. According to testimonies reported by the newspaper, Dominic Raab would have established a “culture of fear” within his ministry and was described as a “tyrant”. The minister would also tend to lose his calm: the tabloid The Sun reported last year that Dominic Raab allegedly threw tomatoes in a fit of anger at a meeting, which his spokesman then called insane.
What is his position?
In February, Dominic Raab had ensured on sky news having always “behaved in a professional manner throughout his mandate”. But “if an allegation of moral harassment is confirmed, I will resign”. He has always denied these accusations which have poisoned the government for months and have raised numerous criticisms from the opposition. He continues to defend himself in his letter of resignation, deeming these accusations “false”.
“By setting the threshold for harassment so low, the investigation sets a dangerous precedent” for the conduct of the government, he further believes. “Ministers should be able to directly criticize” the work of senior civil servants, he adds, conceding that “of course this must be done within reasonable limits”.
Is he involved in other scandals?
This is not the first time that scandals have tarnished the reputation of the 49-year-old minister, who returned to the top when Rishi Sunak arrived in Downing Street in October, whose campaign he had actively supported. Already in 2021, his catastrophic management of the capture of Kabul by the Taliban cost him his post as head of diplomacy. While it is necessary to organize the repatriation of British and Afghans, Dominic Raab prefers to stay on vacation in Greece, arousing indignation in the United Kingdom.
He remains in government but is demoted to Justice, a setback for the one who had served in 2020 as Prime Minister Boris Johnson (2019-2022), then in intensive care after contracting Covid-19. At the time, Dominic Raab was appreciated for his more meticulous approach than Boris Johnson in the face of the health crisis.
What consequences for the Prime Minister?
The case falls badly for the Conservative government with less than two weeks of local elections which promise to be difficult for the majority in power for 13 years, especially when Rishi Sunak, in Downing Street since October, seemed to stabilize his party after months of scandals and falling in the polls.
He is the third minister to quit Rishi Sunak’s government after various accusations, a further stain on the Prime Minister’s promise to show “integrity, professionalism and accountability” in office after the succession of scandals under Boris Johnson.
In November, Gavin Williamson, a minister without portfolio, resigned after accusations of harassment. And in January, Rishi Sunak had to dismiss the president of the conservative party Nadhim Zahawi, who sat as such in the Council of Ministers, for tax disputes.