accused of harassment, deputy prime minister resigns

2023-04-21 11:31:56

British Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab announced his resignation on Friday April 21 after an independent report established that he had morally harassed civil servants, a setback for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, of whom he was a close ally.

“I write to you to resign from your government”writes Dominic Raab, also Minister of Justice, in this letter addressed to Rishi Sunak. “I had asked for this investigation and had undertaken to resign if it established facts of harassment, whatever they may be. I believe it is important to keep my word”he wrote.

This investigation had been launched following eight complaints concerning his behavior when he was Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Brexit or during a previous visit to the Ministry of Justice.

Dominic Raab has always denied these accusations which have poisoned the government for months and have raised numerous criticisms from the opposition.

Report findings

This report submitted to the Prime Minister on Thursday and not yet made public, “dismissed all but two complaints”specifies the minister in his letter, continuing to judge them “false”. The conclusions of the investigation “set a dangerous precedent for the conduct of government”he still defends.

Again on Thursday, Downing Street displayed its “total confidence” in his Deputy Prime Minister, while affirming “carefully study the conclusions of the report”.

This is the third minister to quit Rishi Sunak’s government after various accusations, adding a new stain on the prime minister’s promise to show “integrity, professionalism and responsibility” in power after the succession of scandals under Boris Johnson.

In November, Gavin Williamson, a minister without portfolio in Rishi Sunak’s government, resigned after accusations of harassment. And in January, Rishi Sunak had to dismiss the president of the conservative party Nadhim Zahawi, who sat as such in the council of ministers, for tax disputes.