British deputy prime minister resigns following allegations of harassment at work
The Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and head of Justice, Dominic Raab, announced Friday his resignation after being accused of harassment at work, although he considers that the investigator who has examined his case has set «too low» the bar to talk about pressure and intimidation, which could set a «dangerous precedent» and give rise to other «spurious» allegations against senior officials.
The suspicions date back to his time as foreign minister.
Suspicions about Raab date back to his time as foreign minister, although the investigation began in November 2022. Former colleagues recounted instances of intimidation and bad manners, which have been written down in a report that has increased pressure on Raab and on the prime minister, Rishi Sunak.
Keeping your word
«I think it is important to keep my word,» said Raab, who had pledged to step back if the inquiries attributed any excesses to him. In his letter to Sunak, he has nevertheless defended his work, claiming for example that a minister must exercise «direct supervision» when there are relevant situations, as happened in his case «in the Brexit negotiations on Gibraltar.»
A minister also has the right to be critical of his or her subordinates
He also explained that a minister also has the right to be critical of his subordinates, «within reasonable limits». In this sense, he regretted the «stress or unintentional offenses» that could have been generated, but stressed that the report has not found any situation of insults, shouting or «physical intimidation».
Support to Sunak
Raab has used his farewell to reiterate his support for Sunak, who «has proved to be a great prime minister in very difficult times». «You can count on my support from the bench,» he reiterated, implying that he will continue as an MP in the House of Commons despite his departure from the Executive.
