What Do The Raab Bullying Claims Mean For Sunak?

Dominic Raab has held eight ministerial roles in four government departments - the Ministry of Justice, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Department for Exiting the European Union, and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities - since 2018. He has certainly moved about.

- Sean O'grady

After two formal "bullying" complaints were filed last November, Raab decided to ask Rishi Sunak to investigate them, in his letter to the prime minister. After the departure of Nadhim Zahawi, attention has turned to the next minister who could leave the cabinet.

Beyond that investigation, Raab is facing fresh allegations, reported in The Independent, that he launched an "abusive attack" on prominent anti-Brexit activist Gina Miller. Raab has denied the claim.

What are the allegations?

The allegations around Raab, currently justice secretary as well as deputy prime minister, include that Raab lost his temper at work, chucked food across the room, and that staff were too scared to enter his room. He's also been called "abrasive and controlling" towards other aides. Numerous private secretaries and departmental permanent secretaries have given testimony to the inquiry, which is being led by Adam Tolley KC at Sunak's request.

At Prime Minister's Questions this week, Keir Starmer, standing almost directly across the despatch box from Raab, baldly told Sunak: "At the last count, the deputy prime minister was facing 24 separate allegations of bullying. According to recent reports, some of the complainants were physically sick. One says that they were left suicidal. How would the prime minister feel if one of his friends or relatives was forced to work for a bully simply because the man at the top was too weak to do anything about it?"