Rishi Sunak is reportedly considering his decision on a report of bullying allegations against Dominic Raab. Photo: James Manning/PA
Dominic Raab is determined to fight to keep his Cabinet position as it hangs in the balance after the bullying report's findings were handed over to the prime minister.
Rishi Sunak received Adam Tolly's findings KC&# On Thursday, he investigated allegations of bullying and spent the day agonizing over whether to fire his deputy prime minister and justice minister, eventually postponing a decision until Friday.
G Mr. Raab promised to resign if staff were found to have been bullied.
«If allegations are confirmed, I will resign» — @DominicRaab
Deputy Prime Minister tells @SophyRidgeSky he will resign if bullying allegations are against him will be confirmed. #Ridge https://t.co/ZoMhCmTrtv
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/AgOnsUZT3D
— Sophie Ridge on Sunday and The Take (@RidgeOnSunday ) February 26, 2023
But having also read the findings in Mr. Tolly's report on Thursday, he did not announce his resignation.
Mr. Raab's allies said «he will fight to the death,» saying that Mr. Sunak's delay with the decision showing «gray areas» and the report was not «cut and dry.»
Both Mr. Sunak and Mr. Raab received copies of the results on Thursday morning. By evening, they had not spoken to each other, said a source familiar with the developments.
If Mr. Raab is forced to step down, Mr. Sunak will become the second prime minister since 1979 to lose three cabinet ministers in the first six months, according to an analysis by the Institute of Government for The Telegraph.
Another was Boris Johnson, whose approach to resolving differences with the Conservatives Sunak has criticized in the past.
Mr Raab was one of the Prime Minister's most loyal supporters and a mainstay in his leadership campaigns. He was one of the first to support Mr. Sunak on both occasions when he ran.
There were hopes in Downing Street to announce a decision on Mr Raab's fate by the end of Thursday's game, but they faded in the afternoon as Mr Sunak looked for more time.
Insider #10 told The Telegraph: “This is a detailed report. The PM wants to consider the findings carefully.”
Mr Sunak made no public comment on Thursday, leaving Westminster to speculate whether the delay indicates he is leaning towards or not being fired.
A spokesman for the prime minister said Mr. Sunak's earlier expression of «full confidence» in Mr. Raab «remains valid,» adding, «It is clear that he carefully examines the findings of the report before arriving at a judgment.»
Mr. Raab and his representative also did not comment. Mr. Raab has consistently denied all allegations of bullying, predicting that the investigation will exonerate him.
Labor tried to exploit the information vacuum for political purposes, and Emily Thornberry, the party's shadow attorney general, dubbed Mr Sunak indecisive.
Ms Thornberry told ITV News: «Stop hesitating and procrastinating, take heart and fire your deputy if he's a bully, because that's not what people elected him for.»
'Stop hesitating and procrastinating, gather your courage and fire your deputy if he's a bully'@Emily Thornberry urges the prime minister to make a quick decision on the fate of his deputy prime minister Dominic Raab https://t.co/ymHEfnZNVm pic.twitter.com/MikPPeu0He
— ITV News Politics (@ITVNewsPolitics) April 20, 2023
People close to Mr. Sunak have argued that he must follow all due process before accepting decision because it was fraught with legal complications.
Mr Raab, who was once a solicitor at the Foreign Office, now personally pays a team of lawyers to fight claims against him.
< p>In the past, Mr. Raab has fought back, trying to keep his cabinet positions. In September 2021, he resisted Johnson's removal from the Foreign Office.
Eventually, after several hours of behind-the-scenes arguing, Mr. Raab was appointed Deputy Prime Minister as well as Justice Minister.
A source supporting Mr. Raab said: «He's definitely fighting it. We knew he would fight. We know he has lawyers, so he will fight this to save his political skin.”
It looks like Mr. Sunak is preparing to make a decision on Friday.
There are understood to be eight complaints in total, some of which involved multiple witnesses and victims, that Mr. Tolli was investigating.
< p>More than 20 people were interviewed, including Mr. Johnson and three permanent secretaries who headed government departments under Mr. Raab.
The accusations, some of which were leaked to the media, amounted to an allegation that Mr. Raab created a culture of fear in the government departments he led.
However, his allies have always argued that there is a difference between demanding high standards from junior employees and intimidation, insisting that he did not overstep his bounds.
Mr. Raab has vehemently denied all allegations of bullying, saying in the past: «I'm sure I've always behaved professionally.»
Mr Tolly was asked to «determine the facts» behind the allegations rather than issue a verdict on whether civil servants were bullied.
One source familiar with the report told the Telegraph that the allegations were listed one after the other, followed by remarks by Mr. Tolly offering a factual assessment of their veracity.
< p>However, it is up to the prime minister to determine whether such behavior is in violation of the ministerial code, which is mandatory for MPs serving in public offices.
The code is clear: inappropriate or discriminatory behavior, wherever it occurs, does not comply with the Ministerial Code and is unacceptable.”
One option would be for Mr. Sunak to seek the advice of Sir Laurie Magnus, his independent adviser on ministerial interests. Downing Street declined to say if he was consulted.
There were indications that Whitehall was preparing for a cabinet reshuffle, with senior civil servants preparing “day one” briefings for new government ministers as a precaution. cabinet minister.
Dominique Raab intimidates scandal
In addition to the decision on Mr. Raab, Academic Secretary Michelle Donelan is due to go on maternity leave soon, meaning a short-term replacement is required.
Victoria Atkins, Finance Secretary at the Treasury Department, Victoria Prentice, Attorney General, and Lucy Fraser, Minister of Culture have reportedly been identified as potential candidates for Attorney General if the position is filled.
Mr Sunak vowed that Downing Street steps on the first day of his premiership to lead a government of «honesty, professionalism and accountability at every level».
These words were used by critics who argued that at some points the high bar was not was achieved.
Sir Gavin Williamson resigned as Cabinet Minister, which meant he was visiting the Cabinet just two weeks after his appointment due to allegations that he was heavy-handed towards colleagues and colleagues -MPs — claims he is always denied.
Nadhim Zahavi was sacked as chairman of the Conservative Party when it emerged that he had agreed to pay a fine under a seven-figure tax agreement with HM Revenue and Customs.
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