Connect with us

Published

on

For almost three weeks, at the height of a once-in-a-generation crisis, Dominic Raab was in charge of the UK government.

When Boris Johnson was admitted to intensive care with COVID in April 2020, it was Mr Raab who took over at the top.

Addressing the public during a Downing Street news conference shortly after taking over the prime minister’s responsibilities, Mr Raab vowed that he and the rest of the cabinet would “not blink or flinch in the task ahead at this crucial moment”.

Read more:
Dominic Raab resigns
Deputy PM ‘keeps word’ and quits – follow live

“He’s not just the PM – our boss – for all of us in cabinet he is also our colleague, our friend,” Mr Raab said. “If there is one thing I know about this prime minister; he’s a fighter.”

Later that year, he revealed just how serious that moment had been, saying: “I really worried we might lose him.”

It may have marked the most dramatic moment in his time at the top of government, but even without it, the period since he first joined the cabinet in 2018 has not been short of political tumult.

Dominic Raab arriving in Downing Street, London after Rishi Sunak has been appointed as Prime Minister. Picture date: Tuesday October 25, 2022.

Before politics

An Oxbridge-educated lawyer, Mr Raab also had a career in the legal sector and then as a Foreign Office lawyer during the New Labour years.

This included defending then prime minister Tony Blair in a lawsuit lodged by Slobodan Milosevic, the ex-leader of Yugoslavia.

In 2006, Mr Raab, a karate black belt, moved into politics, working as an aide to then shadow home secretary David Davis.

He also had a spell working for Dominic Grieve, who went on to serve as attorney general during Theresa May’s premiership.

Entrance into parliament

In 2010, Mr Raab stood to be the MP for Esher and Walton after fellow Conservative Ian Taylor stood down.

The seat’s majority surged from just over 7,000 to close to 20,000 as David Cameron came to power in coalition with the Liberal Democrats.

Mr Raab spent his early years in parliament as a backbencher, at one point co-authoring a book on economics called Britannia Unchained: Global Lessons for Growth and Prosperity.

His co-authors on the treatise were Liz Truss, Kwasi Kwarteng, Chris Skidmore and Priti Patel.

In the 2015 election, Mr Raab’s majority in Esher and Walton swelled to close to 30,000.

He was subsequently appointed as a junior minister under Michael Gove, who was then the justice secretary.

Mr Raab’s role included being the minister for human rights.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 08: Justice minister Dominic Raab gives a speech at the 'Vote Leave' campaign headquarters in Westminster on June 8, 2016 in London, England. Mr Raab was today joined by Justice Secretary Michael Gove as they made a case for Britain leaving the European Union on the basis of increased border control and security. Britain will go to the polls in a referendum on the 23rd of June on whether or not to leave the European Union. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
Image:
Mr Raab gives a speech at the Vote Leave campaign headquarters in June 2016

Support of Brexit and entrance to the cabinet

In 2016, Mr Raab announced he would be supporting the departure of the UK from the European Union.

He was a prominent campaigner working with the Vote Leave organisation.

Mr Raab spoke of his confidence that the UK would strike a trade deal with the EU in the wake of Brexit.

Following the result of the referendum and the resignation of Mr Cameron, Mr Raab stayed on as a government minister in the justice department under Theresa May.

His majority then slipped from close to 30,000 to around 23,000 in the 2017 general election.

In January 2018, Mrs May reshuffled her government and he became a housing minister under Sajid Javid.

It was only a few months later, in July 2018, that Mr Raab joined the top table of government.

When his former boss, David Davis, resigned as Brexit secretary over Mrs May’s Chequers proposal, Mr Raab was tapped as his replacement.

Shortly after taking up the position, Mr Raab was criticised for his comments when he said he “hadn’t quite understood” how reliant UK-EU trade was on the crossing between Dover and Calais.

In November 2018, Mr Raab resigned from the government over his opposition to the Brexit deal which had been agreed with the EU.

But by the following March, amid the nights of endless votes on Brexit, Mr Raab changed tack and voted to support Mrs May’s deal, as he said otherwise there was a “significant risk of losing Brexit altogether”.

Dominic Raab launches his Tory leadership campaign
Image:
Mr Raab launched his Tory leadership campaign in 2019

Failed leadership run – and actually running the country

After Mrs May stood down as prime minister in 2019, Mr Raab ran to replace her.

While he was never expected to win, his 30 or so supporters gave him negotiating power for a plum job with eventual winner Boris Johnson.

Coming out of the race, he was appointed foreign secretary – one of the great offices of state.

Mr Raab was also given the title of first secretary of state – becoming de facto deputy prime minister.

In the December 2019 election, Mr Raab’s majority collapsed from around 23,000 to under 3,000.

But he kept his position in the cabinet of Mr Johnson’s new majority government.

Dominic Raab gives the government's daily coronavirus update
Image:
Mr Raab gives the government’s daily coronavirus update in 2020

The first secretary of state role is one that puts a minister above all other secretaries of state, which is the rank of most cabinet ministers.

Held by George Osborne under David Cameron, John Prescott under Tony Blair and Michael Heseltine under John Major, it is a role not always filled and not one often called upon.

But during the COVID pandemic, Mr Raab had to step up to the plate and lead the government when Mr Johnson was admitted to hospital with coronavirus.

After Mr Johnson was diagnosed with the virus at the end of March 2020, it was confirmed Mr Raab would be in charge of the country should the prime minister be unable to discharge his duties.

On 5 April that year, Mr Johnson was admitted to hospital and Mr Raab stood in, chairing meetings, delivering news conferences and responding at Prime Minister’s Questions.

It was only on 27 April 2020 that Mr Johnson once more took over again as prime minister.

 Islamabad, Pakistan. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab visits an army look outpost on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street
Image:
Mr Raab visits the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan as foreign secretary. Pic: Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street

Hong Kong, Afghanistan and exiting the Foreign Office

After stepping back from running the country, Mr Raab returned to running the Foreign Office.

He was still dealing with the impacts of the pandemic, and it was soon announced that the international development brief would be added to his portfolio.

In the summer of 2020, Mr Raab announced the UK would offer a route for people from Hong Kong who held British National (Overseas) status to Britain after China effectively took over the region.

He announced in the Commons that China’s actions constituted a “clear and serious breach” of the treaty agreed between China and the UK in 1984 regarding the semi-autonomous city.

More than 144,000 people have since applied for the visa scheme.

The final act of Mr Raab’s tenure as foreign secretary arrived with the withdrawal of Western forces from Afghanistan in August 2021.

The country was plunged into chaos, with a resurgent Taliban capturing swathes of the nation as Joe Biden and US allies pulled out their troops.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

What’s life like under the Taliban?

Evacuation efforts – known as Operation Pitting – were beset by issues, including people waiting in sewers to get into Kabul airport, and hanging from the side of aeroplanes as they took off in an attempt to flee the Taliban.

It soon emerged that Mr Raab was on holiday in Crete, and he fought off calls to resign following reports he was rejecting phone calls while away.

He later said that with the “benefit of hindsight” he would have returned earlier.

Mr Raab was mocked for telling Sky News that he was not paddleboarding as “the sea was closed”.

By mid-September, Mr Johnson had reshuffled his government and Mr Raab was removed from the Foreign Office. He was made justice secretary and deputy prime minister.

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab walks past the The Household Cavalry at the Palace of Westminster ahead of the State Opening of Parliament in the House of Lords, London. Picture date: Tuesday May 10, 2022.

Replacement of Boris Johnson

Amid swathes of Conservative government resignations and calls for Mr Johnson to step down as prime minister in mid-2022, Mr Raab remained in post as justice secretary.

After Mr Johnson announced his resignation, Mr Raab announced his support for Rishi Sunak and was one of his most vocal supporters.

When Liz Truss won the race to be prime minister, Mr Raab left the cabinet and spent the following weeks engaging on social media with constituency issues.

Once the Truss premiership collapsed, Mr Raab returned to government once again as justice secretary and deputy prime minister.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Raab ‘ruined lives’ with behaviour

Bullying allegations and downfall

Soon after Mr Sunak entered Downing Street, allegations began to swirl about another one of his allies – Gavin Williamson.

Eventually, Mr Williamson offered his resignation, but the spotlight soon turned to Mr Raab.

In November 2022, Mr Raab requested an investigation into the bullying claims made against him – although he insisted at the time that he was “confident that I have behaved professionally throughout”.

Adam Tolley KC was charged with leading the investigation.

Now Mr Raab has left the government, he is facing the likelihood of losing his seat as an MP at the next general election.

It is a top Liberal Democrat target, and his majority of less than 2,000 is looking precarious with the current unpopularity of the Conservatives.

Continue Reading

World

‘Wolf of Wall Street’ Jordan Belfort breaks silence on Trump’s tariffs

Published

on

By

'Wolf of Wall Street' Jordan Belfort breaks silence on Trump's tariffs

‘Wolf of Wall Street’ Jordan Belfort has told Sky News there’s “no way” Donald Trump is guilty of insider trading or market manipulation.

Opponents say the president has questions to answer after he said it was a “great time to buy” shares – four hours before the stock market surged on Wednesday when he paused tariffs.

Mr Belfort told Gillian Joseph the fact Mr Trump made the statement on social media meant it was public, rather than him tipping off a few people.

Tariffs latest: Trump – ‘everything will be beautiful in the end’

Speaking on The World programme, Mr Belfort said: “I personally don’t find it overly suspicious. Especially since he’s told it to everybody at once.

“If he hadn’t said anything and told five of his best friends ‘I’m gonna ease this tariff situation – you should be buying’, that would be illegal.”

Insider trading is when people take advantage of non-public information to buy or sell shares and make a gain.

More from US

The former stockbroker was famously played by Leonardo DiCaprio in the film about his early life and admitted crimes related to stock manipulation.

Mr Belfort said Mr Trump’s post was just repeating what the president had said previously, and that buying when share prices plunge is a well-known investment move.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Market whiplash – did Trump’s friends get richer?

“He had been saying that all along [to buy], it wasn’t the only time he’d said that,” said Mr Belfort.

“[Treasury] Secretary Bessent had been saying that too. It’s a really basic piece of advice.”

Stock markets around the world plunged dramatically on Monday due to the start of America’s wide-ranging tariffs on imports from around the world.

The world economy was rattled again just two days later when the president said nearly all of the taxes would go on hold for 90 days.

The key S&P 500 index jumped nearly 10% – a huge daily increase.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Democrats and Republicans react to insider trading claims

Rival Democrat politicians say Mr Trump‘s encouragement to buy raises “grave ethics concerns”.

Some are calling for an urgent inquiry into whether any of his family or administration officials benefited by dealing in the stock market ahead of time.

The White House said the president’s post was simply reassuring Americans “about their economic security in the face of nonstop media fearmongering”.

Mr Belfort accused Democrat figures of trying to “earn brownie points with the media and their party”.

‘Not gonna be pretty’

Despite the mid-week surge, turbulence in stock markets appears far from over – chiefly because China and the US remain locked in a tariffs stare down.

American indexes closed down again on Thursday, Japan’s Nikkei fell about 5% early on Friday, and Hong Kong stocks are heading for their worst week since 2008.

Gold meanwhile, considered a “safe haven” asset, has climbed to a record price and earlier today passed the $3,200/oz level for the first time.

Mr Belfort told Sky News that while he was against tariffs generally, President Trump’s dramatic intervention was necessary as the US has an “insane” trade imbalance and imports far more than it exports.

“The United States has been drained of its wealth, drained of its factories,” he said.

“It’s not gonna be pretty,” added Mr Belfort. “There’s going to be pain – but the path we were on before is simply unsustainable. It had to change.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Trump tariffs: How have stock markets reacted

He said he was sceptical over fears the tariffs will hit US consumers hard, with some predicting goods – including popular items such as the iPhone – could jump in price if costs are passed on.

The former trader said he believes firms would shift production from China, which is subject to a tariff of more than 100%, to places such as India, and that exemptions would eventually be agreed.

He also gave the thumbs up to Elon Musk‘s controversial government efficiency role which has forced thousands of jobs cut.

Read more:
China ready for trade war and it’s unclear Trump knows what he’s taking on
Trump has blinked – but it’s not the markets that forced him to act

“I love what is being done because the amount of abuse and waste and fraud, it’s absolutely insane,” said Mr Belfort.

“It’s a great thing that’s happening. Obama talked about doing it, Clinton tried it; this is not a new idea to try to make the government more efficient.”

If Mr Musk leaves or quits in the near future, as is rumoured, Mr Belfort said the world’s richest man has installed “some very seasoned business people that really care about the country”.

jordan

Continue Reading

World

Day 82: Stock market whiplash – did Trump’s friends get richer?

Published

on

By

Day 82: Stock market whiplash - did Trump's friends get richer?

👉 Follow Trump 100 on your podcast app 👈

With markets tumbling again, President Trump has been meeting his cabinet – where more questions were put to him over his turbulent tariff plan. On Day 82, US correspondents Mark Stone and James Matthews discuss what happened.

Plus, Mark has been on the road in Wisconsin and Minnesota, speaking to people caught up in the crossfire of the trade war.

If you’ve got a question you’d like James, Martha, and Mark to answer, you can email it to trump100@sky.uk.

Don’t forget, you can also watch all episodes on our YouTube channel.

Continue Reading

World

How Trump changed his mind on tariffs

Published

on

By

How Trump changed his mind on tariffs

“Liberation Day” just gave way to Capitulation Day.

US President Donald Trump pulled back on Wednesday on a series of harsh tariffs targeting friends and foes alike in an audacious bid to remake the global economic order.

Mr Trump’s early afternoon announcement followed a harrowing week in which Republican lawmakers and confidants privately warned him that the tariffs could wreck the economy.

His own aides had quietly raised alarms about the financial markets before he suspended a tariff regime that he had unveiled with a flourish just one week earlier in a Rose Garden ceremony.

Tariffs latest: Beijing takes fight to Trump

The stock market rose immediately after the about-face, ending days of losses that have forced older Americans who’ve been sinking their savings into 401(k)s to rethink their retirement plans.

Ahead of Mr Trump’s announcement, some of his advisers had been in a near panic about the bond markets, a senior administration official told Sky News’ US partner network NBC News.

More on Donald Trump

Interest rates on 10-year Treasury bonds had been rising, contrary to what normally happens when stock prices fall and investors seek safety in treasuries.

The unusual dynamic meant that at the same time the tariffs could push up prices, people would be paying more to buy homes or pay off credit card debt because of higher interest rates. Businesses looking to expand would pay more for new loans.

Two of Mr Trump’s most senior advisers, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, presented a united front on Wednesday, urging him to suspend the tariffs in light of the bond market, the administration official said.

In a social media post, Mr Trump announced a 90-day pause that he said he’ll use to negotiate deals with dozens of countries that have expressed openness to revising trade terms that he contends exploit American businesses and workers.

One exception is China. Mr Trump upped the tariff on the country’s biggest geopolitical rival to 125%, part of a tit-for-tat escalation in an evolving trade war.

Mr Trump reversed course one week after he appeared in the Rose Garden and unveiled his plan to bring jobs back to the United States. Displaying a chart showing the new, elevated tariffs that countries would face, Mr Trump proclaimed: “My fellow Americans, this is Liberation Day.”

It proved short-lived. Markets plunged in anticipation of heightened trade wars, wiping out trillions of dollars in wealth.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

What do Americans think of President Trump’s tariffs? Sky’s Mark Stone travelled to two states where they’ll have a major impact

Read more:
Donald Trump has finally blinked
What China could do next as Trump’s tariff war ramps up

Democrats seized on the issue, looking to undercut a source of Mr Trump’s popular appeal: the view that he can be trusted to steer the nation’s economy.

“Donald Trump’s market crash has vaporised a whopping $104,000 from the average retirement account,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, said on Wednesday on the Senate floor, hours before the president’s reversal.

The episode laid bare the rifts within Mr Trump’s team of senior advisers as the White House struggled to offer a clear, consistent argument about the duration of the tariffs.

While Mr Bessent seemed open to negotiations, Peter Navarro, a senior trade adviser, appeared to take a more hard-line posture.

Elon Musk, the billionaire Tesla chief executive who has been advising Mr Trump on the government workforce, called Navarro “dumber than a sack of bricks,” while Mr Navarro described Mr Musk as someone who is merely “a car assembler, in many cases”.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

What’s the spat between Elon Musk and Peter Navarro about?

But the weeklong drama also underscored the peril of a policymaking process that is often tied to the wishes and vagaries of one man: Donald Trump.

Asked about the dust-up between Mr Musk and Mr Navarro, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a golf partner of Mr Trump’s, said: “I don’t think it matters. The only one who matters is Trump.”

Markets tend to favour predictability, as do business leaders deciding where to build new plants. When Mr Trump sets a course, however, there are bound to be detours.

A friend of his who spoke to him in recent days said Mr Trump gave no sign he was about to “back down quickly on this stuff”.

Mr Trump believes other countries trade unfairly and sees tariffs as a tool to make the United States more competitive, the person said.

“He’s very confident it’s going to work for him,” the person added, speaking on condition of anonymity.

👉 Follow Trump 100 on your podcast app 👈

And yet in the run-up to Wednesday’s announcement, Mr Trump and his aides were also hearing from GOP lawmakers and outside allies urging an alternative path.

One was Larry Kudlow, who hosts a show on Fox Business Network and was a senior economic adviser in Mr Trump’s first term.

Mr Kudlow told NBC News that he has had “ongoing” talks with friends in the West Wing about the need to negotiate with other countries before the United States slaps them with tariffs that stand in perpetuity.

Describing Mr Trump’s move Wednesday as “fabulous,” Mr Kudlow added: “Dealmaking is the best thing to do. In the last 48 hours, Trump has gone from non-negotiating to negotiating.

“It’s very clear that Bessent is now the point man on trade. Very clear.”

Anxious GOP lawmakers also weighed in.

Mr Graham said he spoke to Mr Trump at length on Tuesday night and told him he had been hearing from car manufacturers who are worried about how the tariffs would affect their business. BMW operates a plant in Mr Graham’s home state and is one of the companies he said he had spoken to.

Senator John Kennedy, a Republican lawmaker who was also in touch with the administration, said on Tuesday that he planned to have lunch with Mr Bessent. On Wednesday, he told NBC News he was also talking to the White House.

Mr Kennedy likened Mr Trump to the “pit bull who caught the car”. Now, he said, the question becomes: “What are you going to do with the car?”

After more market losses this week, and with pressure mounting from Republicans on Capitol Hill, Mr Trump began having second thoughts.

In his first term, he often viewed the ups and downs of the stock market as a kind of report card on his presidency, celebrating its rise. The downturn had got his attention.

“People were getting a little queasy,” he acknowledged Wednesday on an event with NASCAR racing champions.

“Over the last few days” he began to more seriously consider pausing the additional tariffs, he told reporters later in the day in an Oval Office appearance.

One prospect that intrigued him was personally negotiating new trade deals with the countries looking to get out from under the tariffs, the senior administration official said.

He’d made up his mind. Sitting with Mr Bessent and Mr Lutnick, he crafted the note announcing the 90-day postponement and ending, for the time being, the biggest economic crisis of his young presidency.

“We wrote it from our hearts, right?” Mr Trump said. “It was written as something that I think was very positive for the world and for us, and we don’t want to hurt countries that don’t need to be hurt, and they all want to negotiate.”

The day closed with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up nearly 8%, erasing some – but not all – of the “post-Liberation Day” losses.

Messy as it all may have seemed, his administration insisted that all is unfolding as planned.

“You have been watching the greatest economic master strategy from an American president in history,” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller posted on Wednesday afternoon.

Continue Reading

Trending