Raab resigns after report supports bullying allegations

London, Apr 21 (EFE).- The United Kingdom’s justice secretary and deputy prime minister, Dominic Raab, resigned on Friday after a report found he had bullied civil servants.

The inquiry by employment barrister Adam Tolley found Raab, a close ally of prime minister Rishi Sunak, had “acted in a manner which was intimidating, in the sense of going further than was necessary or appropriate in delivering critical feedback, and also insulting, in the sense of making unconstructive critical comments about the quality of work done (whether or not as a matter of substance any criticism was justified).”

In his resignation letter, Raab, who also held the role under former PM Boris Johnson, said he was stepping down because he had “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,” Raab said.

However, he said the report’s findings were “flawed” and “set a dangerous precedent” by “setting the threshold for bullying so low,” warning that it would “encourage spurious complaints against Ministers and have a chilling effect on those driving change on behalf of your government – and ultimately the British people.”

Raab’s resignation is a major political blow to the prime minister, who had his support from the moment he first launched his candidacy to lead the Conservative Party.

In a letter, Sunak said he had accepted Raab’s resignation “with great sadness”.

Former Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Oliver Dowden, will replace Raab as deputy PM, while Alex Chalk will take over as justice secretary, Downing Street said. EFE

er/ks