The UK Justice Minister, Domenic Raab, tendered his resignation this Friday, 24 hours after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak received reports allegedly critical of conservative politicians’ treatment of officials under his command, during his career as minister, while facing eight labor charges. harassment and abuse of power by its close collaborators.

Although the report is the final summary of the workplace harassment investigation into Raab’s collaborators for their tenure across various ministry portfolios, it has yet to be made public, but Sunak has accepted the resignation of his deputy prime minister and faces a renewal within his government to replace one of his closest allies. , who supported him in his two attempts to reach Downing Street.

The document, which stems from an investigation conducted by labor attorney Adam Tolley, stated that Raab had exhibited “irrational and persistently aggressive” behavior while in front of the State Department, and although he clarified that the minister had not intended to “humiliate” its officials, “difficult to work with” because of its “abrasive” nature.

In a letter released via his Twitter account, Raab has made it clear that he will leave his position within the Government as he promised if the Tolley investigation uncovers “findings of abuse”, although he denies having done so at any point in his career. “I asked for an investigation and promised to resign if there were findings of ‘bullying’. I think it’s important to keep my word,” Raab explained in his resignation letter.

Raab warned of a “dangerous precedent” for the government

In his letter, Raab stated that the investigation had set a dangerous precedent for the government. “I think the contradictory findings he disclosed are wrong and set a dangerous precedent for good governance,” stressed the former minister. Raab criticized that “by setting a low bar for harassment”, the investigation and his departure from the UK Executive “would encourage false complaints against ministers” which would have a disastrous effect on “those pushing for change.”

“Ministers must be able to exercise direct oversight of senior officials conducting important negotiations on behalf of the British people (…) and secondly, ministers must be able to express substantive criticism during their meetings with those senior officials in order to be able to set the necessary standards and promote the desired reforms. the public from us”, criticized the former minister.

Raab assured that the investigation “has ruled out all charges except two” and that it “contains errors”. In the first case, the former minister admitted that he went too far by admonishing one of the diplomats who were negotiating with Spain for the Gibraltar lace in the post-Brexit era, and that the official “missed the mandate that was approved by the Cabinet Government.”

Of the Foreign Office meeting in which Raab disapproved of his team’s work, the report said he “acted in an intimidating manner, in an unreasonable sense and was persistently aggressive.” According to Tolley, “the behavior also involved the abuse or misuse of power in a demeaning or humiliating way. He went beyond what was reasonably necessary for his decisions to be enforced and introduced an element of punishment.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has accepted his resignation “with great sadness”, but has announced that Raab will be replaced soon. Conservative Alex Chalk, until now Minister of Defense, and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, who occupies a position similar to that of Minister for the Presidency, will become the new holders of Justice and Deputy Prime Minister of the Government. @mundiario

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