Dominic Raab resigns after two bullying complaints against him are upheld
Dominic Raab has resigned after he was found to have bullied staff members while working as a cabinet minister across different departments.
A report from independent investigator Adam Tolley said two complaints against him had been upheld, concluding the deputy prime minister and justice secretary had “acted in a way which was intimidating”, and had been “unreasonably and persistently aggressive” in meetings.
The findings also said his conduct “involved an abuse or misuse of power in a way that undermines or humiliates”.
But in a resignation letter posted on Twitter, Mr Raab took issue with the report, calling the inquiry “flawed” and claiming the conclusions “set a dangerous precedent for the conduct of good government”.
Politics live: Raab ‘keeps word’ and quits
The news comes after Rishi Sunak was presented with an official report into Mr Raab’s behaviour on Thursday.
In his letter, Mr Sunak said he accepted his deputy’s resignation “with great sadness”, saying it “should not make us forget your record of delivery in both this government and previous administrations”.
And the PM said there had been “shortcomings in the historic process that have negatively affected everyone involved”, adding: “We should learn from this how to better handle such matters in future”.
Dominic Raab resignation letter
But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the situation showed “the continual weakness of the prime minister”, adding: “He should never have appointed [Mr Raab] in the first place… and then he didn’t sack him.
“It is that decision and that weakness I think that goes to the heart, not just of this prime minister, but of the 13 years now of [Conservative] failure and it is why people desperately want a change.”
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats called for Mr Raab to resign as an MP and for a by-election to be held in his seat, saying he had shown “he is not only unfit to serve as a minister, but is totally unfit to represent his constituents in parliament”.
Rishi Sunak letter to Dominic Raab
The 48-page report from Mr Tolley said there had been eight formal complaints against Mr Raab from across his time as justice secretary, foreign secretary and Brexit secretary.
A total of 66 interviews were carried out over the five months – including four with the minister himself – and 44 written contributions were given to the investigator.
In one of the complaints, upheld from his time at the Foreign Office, Mr Tolley concluded the minister had “acted in a way which was intimidating, in the sense of unreasonably and persistently aggressive in the context of a workplace meeting”.
He said Mr Raab’s conduct “also involved an abuse or misuse of power in a way that undermines or humiliates”, adding: “In particular, he went beyond what was reasonably necessary in order to give effect to his decision and introduced a punitive element.
“His conduct was bound to be experienced as undermining or humiliating by the affected individual, and it was so experienced. I infer that [Mr Raab] must have been aware of this effect; at the very least, he ought reasonably to have been so aware.”
The minister also used “a form of intimidating behaviour in the sense of conveying a threat of unspecified disciplinary action” at a member of staff.
And he was criticised over his “use of physical gestures”, including “extending his hand directly out towards another person’s face with a view to making them stop talking” and “loud banging of the table to make a point”.
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‘Downing Street had to weigh up difficult judgements.’
The second complaint came from his time at the Ministry of Justice, and Mr Tolley concluded Mr Raab “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)”.
Examples included “unfairly personal criticism” of officials who didn’t answer his questions in meetings, and making comments about staff “frustrating his policy objectives” that left them feeling “insulted” – using phrases like “utterly useless” and “woeful”.
The investigator said Mr Raab “did not intend by the conduct described to upset or humiliate” or “target anyone for a specific type of treatment”, but “he did not always have in mind the impact of his approach at the level of the individual who was affected by it” and “ought to have realised earlier that some individuals would find it difficult to cope with his style and should have adjusted his behaviour accordingly”.
In his conclusions, Mr Tolley said: “The [deputy prime minister] has been able to regulate this level of ‘abrasiveness’ since the announcement of the investigation. He should have altered his approach earlier.”
But in an article published in the Telegraph shortly after his ousting, Mr Raab hit back at the findings and described the probe as “a Kafkaesque saga”.
In his resignation letter, the outgoing minister wrote: “I 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.”
But he said the report showed he had “not once, in four and a half years, sworn or shouted at anyone, let alone thrown anything or otherwise physically intimidated anyone, nor intentionally sought to belittle anyone”.
Mr Raab claimed the inquiry had set “the threshold for bullying so low” that it had “set a dangerous precedent”.
He added: “I am genuinely sorry for any unintended stress or offence that any officials felt, as a result of the pace, standards and challenge that I brought to the Ministry of Justice.
“That is, however, what the public expect of ministers working on their behalf.”
In his newspaper article, Mr Raab gave his own account of the complaints made against him, saying some staff “complained that I asked too many questions, including in budget meetings with hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money at stake, curtailed unwieldy interventions in meetings, or that they were intimidated or offended by my body language”.
“These were dismissed,” he added.
On the allegations that were upheld, he said the report concluded “I had abused my power by replacing a lead negotiator when I was foreign secretary, and as justice secretary had left senior officials feeling insulted on three occasions because of direct feedback”.
But he doubled-down on his attack on the process, saying “normal rules of evidence and procedural fairness were disapplied”, including a rule for all complaints to be made within three months.
“In my case, all the complaints were stored up for over three months, most over eight months, some for over four years – and then submitted in a coordinated way,” he claimed.
“And I was subject to trial by media for six months, fuelled by warped and fabricated accounts leaked by anonymous officials.”
Labour’s Sir Keir accused Mr Raab of “whining” when the public wanted to hear about things that mattered to them.
“There is a bigger picture here,” he said. “We have got a cost of living crisis, there is the future of the NHS that is really, really important… and we are mired in talking about the weaknesses and the inability of the government to actually deliver anything for the people of this country.
“I don’t know why Dominic Raab thinks in the middle of a cost of living crisis that anybody wants to hear about his whining about having to resign.
“What I think everybody wants is strong leadership and that has been palpably absent here.
“Why on earth was Raab appointed in the first place? Why on earth didn’t the prime minister act more quickly? Why on earth isn’t the government laser focuses on the cost of living crisis and the absolute mess of the NHS that they have made?”
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The Labour leader says that the resignation of the deputy prime minitser and justice secretary shows there is weakness at the top of the Tory party.
The civil service union, the FDA, called for an independent inquiry into ministerial bullying following the findings of the report.
General secretary Dave Penman said: “This resignation is not a vindication of the current system, it’s a damning indictment of the inadequacy of a process that relies solely on the prime minister of the day to enforce standards.”
Mike Clancy, the boss of another civil service union Prospect, also said there had been “a toxic culture at the top of government for too long with civil servants and public trust paying the price for this chaos”, calling on Mr Sunak to now “clean out the rest of the stables”.
He added: “These issues go to the heart of the anger and distrust many people feel towards the way our country runs. It is time for ministers to step up and to start restoring trust both for civil servants and the good of the country.”
Mr Raab sat alongside Mr Sunak in the Commons on Wednesday.
Mr Raab was appointed by Mr Sunak after he took power in October, and less than 48 hours ago he was sat alongside the PM at Prime Minister’s Questions.
Allegations surfaced about Mr Raab back in November, with former staff claiming he created a “culture of fear” in their departments.
He denied the allegations and requested an investigation into himself after two formal complaints were made.
As the weeks rolled on, more accusations came to light, with one report suggesting as many as 24 complaints had been made.
Mr Sunak has come under pressure over what he knew about Mr Raab’s alleged conduct, with a source telling political editor Beth Rigby the PM was informed about Mr Raab’s “unacceptable behaviour” before appointing him as his deputy and justice secretary.
Downing Street said Mr Sunak was “not aware” of any “formal complaints” about Mr Raab when he appointed him, but Number 10 did not deny concerns had been expressed informally.
Mr Raab’s departure follows Mr Sunak’s decision to dismiss Tory party chairman Nadhim Zahawi from his post in January after the former chancellor was found to have broken the ministerial code over his tax affairs.
World
Hamas official thanks Donald Trump for ceasefire deal – but tells Sky News Tony Blair not welcome
A senior Hamas official has thanked President Donald Trump for his role in securing a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
In an exclusive interview with Sky News’ lead world news presenter Yalda Hakim, senior Hamas official Dr Basem Naim also warned that former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair would not be welcome in any post-war role for Gaza.
Latest updates: Palestinians head back north – as Israel pulls troops back
Israel and Hamas have agreed to a first phase of a peace deal brokered by the US president, with a ceasefire taking effect on Friday.
Dr Naim said the ceasefire would not have been possible without President Trump, but insisted he needed to continue to apply pressure to Israel to stick to the agreement.
He added that Hamas would be willing to step aside for a Palestinian body to govern a post-war Gaza, but that they would remain “on the ground” and would not be disarmed.
Dr Naim said in the interview: “Without the personal interference of President Trump in this case, I don’t think that it would have happened to have reached the end of the war.
“Therefore, yes, we thank President Trump and his personal efforts to interfere and to pressure Israel to bring an end to this massacre and slaughtering.”
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He added: “We believe and we hope that President Trump will continue to interfere personally and to exercise the maximum pressure on [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to fulfil its obligation.
“First, as according to the deal, and second, according to the international law as an occupying power, because I think without this pressure, without this personal interference from President Trump, this will not happen.
“We have already seen Netanyahu speaking to the media, threatening to go to war again if this doesn’t happen, if that doesn’t happen.”
Donald Trump has been thanked for his role in securing a peace deal in Gaza. Pic: AP
Questions remain over the next phases of the peace plan, including who will govern Gaza as Israeli troops gradually pull back and whether Hamas will disarm – as called for in Mr Trump’s ceasefire plan.
Mr Netanyahu has hinted that Israel might renew its offensive if Hamas does not give up its weapons.
However, Dr Naim said Hamas would not completely disarm and that weapons would only be handed over to the Palestinian state, with fighters integrated into the Palestinian National Army.
“No one has the right to deny us the right to resist the occupation of armies,” he said.
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Thousands of Gazans are heading north as Israeli troops pull back.
On future governance, Dr Naim criticised plans for Sir Tony to play any role in overseeing the future of Gaza, saying that Hamas and Palestinians were angered by his role in previous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Dr Naim added: “When it comes to Tony Blair, unfortunately, we Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims and maybe others around the world have bad memories of him.
“We can still remember his role in killing, causing thousands or millions of deaths to innocent civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“We can still remember him very well after destroying Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Under Mr Trump’s plans, Sir Tony would form part of an international supervisory body.
The international body, the Council of Peace or Board of Peace, would govern under plans approved by Mr Netanyahu.
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The body would hold most power while overseeing the administration of Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs.
It would also hold the commanding role of directing reconstruction in Gaza.
Sir Tony Blair has been told he would not be welcome in a post-war Gaza. Pic: PA
Dr Naim added that Hamas was satisfied Mr Trump’s plan would achieve peace in Gaza.
But he said it could never be fully satisfied after accusing Israel of genocide.
Israel has continually denied this, claiming it has been fighting Hamas terrorists to defend itself following the October 7 massacre in 2023.
World
‘Terror cannot beat us’: Nova Music Festival founders on surviving October 7 – and their hopes for peace
In the exhibition room of Berlin’s old Tempelhof Airport, three burned-out cars lie on their sides.
The windows, interiors and paintwork are gone; all that remains are lumps of twisted and rusted metal. Next to them is a rough circle of tents and scattered mats.
A picnic chair has toppled over on one, others are strewn with abandoned bags, camping equipment and discarded fairy lights.
“Everything you see here is original from the festival on October 7th,” Ofir Amir explains.
He’s referring to the Nova Music Festival, where around 400 people were murdered on 7 October 2023.
In the week where peace finally feels like a possibility, Ofir is remembering those killed in a massacre that sparked the latest conflict.
All around us are tables of abandoned items left behind in the panic. One displays clothes; another is filled with shoes.
Shoes form part of the tributes to those who died on 7 October 2023
All of them are reminders of a day, Ofir, who was a co-founder of the festival, nearly didn’t survive.
“When the terrorists came to the festival area, we saw them just shooting into the crowd that was running away from them,” he tells me.
Ofir and his friends managed to jump into a car and started to drive away, but they were cornered by Hamas militants who opened fire.
One of their friends died, and Ofir was shot in both legs. He remembers he was on the phone to his wife, who was nine months pregnant at the time.
‘How will my wife raise a child alone’
“This was all I could ever think about,” he says, “that I might not come home, and how will my wife raise a child alone.”
Ofir’s friends used what they could to stop the bleeding and managed to keep him alive until help came.
The memorial exhibition was created in memory of those who died.
It’s already opened in cities including New York and Toronto, but on the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks, the exhibition began its first European show in Berlin.
“With so much hate going on, so much antisemitism everywhere on the streets, all over the world, it’s important to show the world and give them a reminder when you go so blindly and follow hate, what the outcome can be,” Ofir says.
Omri Sasi, also a co-founder and DJ at the Nova Music Festival, was in the car with Ofir when they were hit.
He picks out faces from a long line of photos which cover one wall.
Ofir Amir was shot in both legs as he escaped the festival
‘They were murdered together’
“This is my uncle, Avi Sasi. This is Alex Luke, my friend from Montreal… they were murdered together,” he says.
Beside them are the photos of Omri’s pregnant cousin and her husband, who were also killed.
Despite their losses, Omri and Ofir say they don’t want the exhibition to focus on religion or politics but to help spread peace.
However, the memorial event has faced some opposition; for example, several hundred demonstrators protested against Israel at the exhibit in New York.
In Los Angeles, Omri says a pro-Palestinian group also gathered outside the show. He invited them in, and they talked about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Omri Sasi was also in the car with Ofir, when they were hit by Hamas gunmen
‘We cried together’
“We cried together, we hugged each other and we understood that the best way to deal with this war is to talk,” he says. “Not to fight and not hit people.”
More than 60,000 Gazans have died in the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
Omri tells me he has friends in Gaza, that he wants the ceasefire to hold, and Gazans “to have a good life” – but he’s also deeply concerned by the rise in antisemitism he’s seen in the last two years.
“People are scared,” he says. “Even when I go out here in Berlin, I look around myself and I try to not speak in Hebrew, and this is sad.
“It doesn’t need to be like this.”
Liora Furema says she is worried about her safety at Jewish events
Authorities across Europe have warned about growing hate and violence against Jewish people since the October 7 attack.
The fatal synagogue attack in Manchester has added to the fear.
This week, Germany’s domestic intelligence chief said antisemitism had increased with sometimes open calls for attacks on Jewish institutions, while the country’s chancellor denounced the trend as “shameful”.
At the Berlin exhibition, Liora Furema says she’s worried about her safety as a Jewish student when she goes to university or to the synagogue.
“At any Jewish event, I think about my security,” she explained.
Omri says he is deeply concerned by the rise in antisemitism
It’s hoped the ceasefire will be the beginning of the end of the war in Gaza, but the fear of antisemitism remains.
Rather than deepening the divisions, the organisers say the show is a reminder of the dangers of allowing hate to flourish. They now are focusing on healing.
“Our message is, we will dance again,” says Omri. “Whatever happened to us, we are standing and dancing again. Terror cannot beat us.”
Donald Trump has announced the US will impose an additional 100% tariff on China imports, accusing it of taking an “extraordinarily aggressive position” on trade.
In a post to his Truth Social platform on Friday, the US president said Beijing had sent an “extremely hostile letter to the world” and imposed “large-scale export controls on virtually every product they make”.
Mr Trump, who warned the additional tariffs would start on 1 November, said the US would also impose export controls on all critical software to China.
The president added that he was imposing the tariffs because of export controls placed on rare earths by China.
He wrote: “Based on the fact that China has taken this unprecedented position, and speaking only for the USA, and not other nations who were similarly threatened, starting November 1st, 2025 (or sooner, depending on any further actions or changes taken by China), the United States of America will impose a tariff of 100% on China, over and above any tariff that they are currently paying.
“It is impossible to believe that China would have taken such an action, but they have, and the rest is history. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
President Trump says he sees no reason to see President Xi as part of a trip to South Korea. Pic: Reuters
Mr Trump said earlier on Friday that there “seems to be no reason” to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in a scheduled meeting as part of an upcoming trip to South Korea at the end of this month.
He had posted: “I was to meet President Xi in two weeks, at APEC, in South Korea, but now there seems no reason to do so.”
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The trip was scheduled to include a stop in Malaysia, which is hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, a stop in Japan and then the stop to South Korea, where Mr Trump would meet Mr Xi ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
Mr Trump added: “There are many other countermeasures that are, likewise, under serious consideration.”
The move signalled the biggest rupture in relations in six months between Beijing and Washington – the world’s biggest
factory and its biggest consumer.
It also threatens to escalate tensions between the two countries, prompting fears over the stability of the global economy.
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Sky’s Siobhan Robbins explains why Donald Trump didn’t receive the Nobel Peace Prize
Friday was Wall Street’s worst day since April, with the S&P 500 falling 2.7%, owing to fears about US-China relations.
China had restricted the access to rare earths ahead of the meeting between Presidents Trump and Xi.
Under the restrictions, Beijing would require foreign companies to get special approval for shipping the metallic elements abroad.
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