Just days away from marking six months in government, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was forced to carry out a mini-reshuffle after losing another minister to bullying allegations. The departure of Dominic Raab, deputy prime minister and portfolio holder for the Ministry of Justice, leads to the promotion of three secretaries of state and three deputies to the executive branch (two on maternity leave). The question is whether the headaches for Sunak, who had promised a new beginning after the controversies of his predecessors, will end there.
Raab had announced that he would resign if the bullying allegations against him were proven and this Friday he made good on his promise, saying it was important to “keep your word”. But he made his displeasure clear by explaining that the inquiry dismissed most of the charges (it accepted two of the eight) and that those two cases are “flawed and set a dangerous precedent for good governance behavior.” According to him, the bar for bullying is too low and “will encourage unfair complaints against ministers”.
The investigation, led by lawyer Adam Tolley, concluded that Raab “acted intimidatingly” when he was head of diplomacy (between July 2019 and September 2021) by threatening an official with “unspecified disciplinary action”. He also had an “excessively aggressive behavior”. As for the Justice Department, a position he held between September 2021 and September 2022 and resumed on October 25, he was “abrasive” at times, but not “offensive.” The report does not say whether or not Raab broke the ministerial code.
In the resignation letter Raab apologizes for any “accidental” stress or insult he may have caused, but attributes this to the “pace, standards and challenge” he set as minister. He also recalled that government officials should be able to provide critical feedback and direct supervision of their employees. Finally, he criticized the continued leaking of information surrounding the independent investigation.
Sunak, who had lost his education minister after just 14 days in office over bullying allegations, accepted Raab’s resignation with “great sadness”. But he recalled that when he took office on Oct. 25, he promised his government would have “integrity, professionalism and accountability at all levels.” The prime minister says Raab kept his word by resigning if the investigation revealed bullying, but also defended him by saying it was clear “there were flaws in the process”.
Sunak hailed his runner-up’s career through several administrations – including replacing Boris Johnson at the head of the executive when he was hospitalized with covid-19 – saying his achievements “should make him extremely proud”. The Prime Minister also thanked him for his personal support in the Conservative leadership race.
without Rahab, Sunak was obliged to make some changes in the government. For his number two he chose Oliver Dowden, who will stack the position of Deputy Prime Minister with the portfolios he currently held: Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (a sort of minister without portfolio) and Secretary of State with responsibilities for government coordination, who was already on the Council of Ministers.
For the Justice portfolio, Sunak promoted Secretary of State for Defense Alex Chalk, who will be replaced in this position by the Deputy Secretary of State for the Treasury, James Cartlidge. MP Gareth Davies will fill Cartlidge’s portfolio. This mini-refurbishment is completed with the appointment of two other MPs to cover the maternity leave of two secretaries of state: Chloe Smith replaces Michelle Donelan in Science and Innovation and John Wittingdale says goodbye to Julia Lopez, in Culture.
Source: DN
