Edited by Jasmine Taylor-Coleman and Jamie Whitehead
All times stated are UK
Thank you for joining us
Jamie Whitehead
Live reporter
So Dominic Raab’s time in the Cabinet is over - for now at
least - after he resigned today as deputy prime minister and justice secretary following
the report that found he bullied civil servants.
Raab didn’t take this lying down. In both his resignation
letter and interview with our political editor Chis Mason, Raab was keen to
stress that he felt the bar for bullying was “low” and “activist civil servants
were blocking government reform”.
But where there is a departure, there must be an arrival. Raab’s
successors as deputy prime minister and justice secretary are Oliver Dowden and
Alex Chalk respectively. As for Raab? He’s waiting for the dust to settle before revealing what
he’ll do next, but is “overwhelmed” by the support he has had from constituents
and MPs.
Thanks for joining us for our coverage today. It’s been
written by Sam Hancock, Malu Cursino, Adam Durbin, Jasmine Andersson, Chas Geiger, Fiona
Nimoni and Oliver Slow along with contributions from correspondents including Ione Wells, Adam Fleming
and Chris Mason.
It was edited by Dulcie Lee, Jasmine Taylor Coleman, Kevin
Ponniah and me.
Wrap of the day
Jasmine Andersson
Live reporter
It's been a long and eventful day for the government after Dominic Raab resigned as deputy prime minister. As our coverage draws to a close, we've pulled together a recap of what you need to know:
The full report into Raab's conduct has been released
The report concluded that Raab acted "in an intimidating manner", was "insulting"
Dominic Raab resigned as deputy prime minister after the report upheld two claims of bullying
Raab has forcefully defended his conduct, writing in his resignation letter that the report's findings were "flawed"
Rishi Sunak accepted Raab's resignation but said there had been "shortcomings" in the process
The BBC's Chris Mason grilled Raab over the report's findings, asking him: "Are you a nightmare to work for?"
Raab admitted to and apologised for "subjective hurt feelings" but accused the report of lowering the bar for bullying
Oliver Dowden and Alex Chalk have stepped up to replace Raab, named deputy prime minister and justice secretary respectively
Sir Keir Starmer said that Raab needed to stop "whinging" while there was a cost-of-living crisis going on
Sir Ed Davey said the government "has got to clean its act up"
Today is a good outcome - Malik
Joseph Cassidy
Political Research Unit
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
A former director general at the Foreign
Office has said that Dominic Raab's resignation after bullying complaints being
against him being upheld is a "good outcome".
However, Moazzam Malik, who worked with Raab
when he was foreign secretary, warned that “this wasn’t an isolated case”"
and that "the rules and procedures that govern that conduct and the relationship
between ministers and civil servants is under pressure, and is not working
effectively".
He said civil servants had "lost
confidence" in the process for resolving complaints and that
"ministers are behaving badly with civil servants."
Malik also said some criticisms of the civil
service was also making the relationship between ministers and civil servants
more difficult, “To be described as the blob and to just be disregarded is
disempowering, disheartening and actually leads to poor relationships”.
Raab resignation letter 'graceless', says former civil service head
BBCCopyright: BBC
There’s been plenty of reaction to Raab’s resignation throughout
the day, and this afternoon Radio 4’s PM programme heard from former head of
the civil service, Lord Bob Kerslake -he has also advised the Labour party.
Lord Kerslake was highly critical of Raab’s resignation letter,
calling it “graceless, and in some instances malevolent”, accusing him of
lashing out and not accepting “personal responsibility for his behaviour”.
He said civil servants accept that ministers have a right to
directly oversee negotiations, or to critique briefing advice, but “what isn’t
acceptable is the way he did it,” adding that Adam Tolley’s report was “pretty
damning” about Raab’s behaviour.
Lord Kerslake described Raab’s claim in a BBC interview this
afternoon that “activist” civil servants had tried to block the government
agenda as “absurd” and “completely inaccurate”, he added it was “one more line
of attack to avoid taking responsibility for his behaviour”.
"There are plenty of ministers who work hard and are very
dedicated," he said, but "they don't act in the way in which Adam
Tolley has found that Dominic Raab acted."
No 10 aware of Raab 'problem' in Theresa May era
Adam Fleming
Newscast presenter
Former No 10 chief of staff Gavin Barwell has told BBC Newscast
that he was aware of a problem with Dominic Raab's behaviour while he was in office.
Lord Barwell, who worked with Raab when he was Brexit secretary,
said he’d offered to a senior civil servant to make the then-prime minister,
Theresa May, aware of the “problem”.
He told Newscast: “I was conscious that there was a bit of a
problem.
"I can remember having a conversation with a senior
official at DExEU,(Department for Exiting the European Union) who said staff in
his private office were finding it quite difficult.
"And I sort of inquired, did that person want the prime minister to speak to him about that?
"And they said, no, that they were confident that they
could, they could handle the matter and resolve it.
"So I think the honest answer your question is, was I aware
that there was potentially a problem?
"Yes. Was I aware that it was as serious
as it clearly is now, when you look at that report? No.”
What does 'bullying' actually mean?
Fiona Nimoni
Live reporter
Dominic Raab has been clear that he believes
too low a bar has been set for what amounts to bullying.
In his letter to Rishi Sunak, Raab says the
report has "set a dangerous precedent" by setting the threshold for
bullying "so low".
This "low bar" Raab complains of is not a new
threshold set by the report's author, Adam Tolley KC. The definition of
bullying Tolley used to conduct his investigation was set by the High Court in
2021, specifically in regards to the ministerial code - under which Raab was
bound.
So what did the High Court define as bullying?
Offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, whether or not the perpetrator is aware or intends that the conduct is offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting; or
Abuse or misuse of power in ways that undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient
Tolley finds that while Raab did not intend on offending,
intimidating, or insulting anyone, "he ought to have realised earlier that
some individuals would find it difficult to cope with his style".
Raab's "personal style" is referred to as one which
"is and feels intimidating or insulting to the individual, but is not
intended to be so".
The PM is said to have been happy for the report "to adopt
the approach to bullying explained by the High Court".
Union leader slams Raab's 'activist civil servants' remark
BBCCopyright: BBC
Earlier, Dominic Raab told our political
editor Chris Mason he blamed "activist civil servants" for blocking
his reforms.
The comments have not gone down well Dave
Penman, the general secretary of civil servants union, the FDA.
Penman said the term (activist civil servants)
is "just the latest
conspiracy" Raab "has concocted." Before adding it "deflects
from an independent investigations criticism of his conduct."
He says it is time for the prime minister to
step in and "defend the impartiality of the service."
He told the BBC: “Rishi Sunak only launched
the inquiry because Raab asked him to, he allowed Raab to resign and undermine
the investigation before publishing the evidence.
"Now the prime minister is sitting back
whilst his former deputy peddles dangerous conspiracy theories that undermine
the impartiality and integrity of the civil service.
“As prime minister and minister for the civil
service, Rishi Sunak has a duty under the Ministerial Code to defend the
impartiality of the service.
"He now needs to do that and stop giving his former ally a
free hand."
WATCH: The government has got to clean its act up
Earlier today the leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey, went to Raab's constituency in Surrey to demand a by-election.
He said this wasn't the first instance of bullying at the top of the Conservative government.
Video content
Video caption: Davey on Raab: Bullying at the top has happened beforeDavey on Raab: Bullying at the top has happened before
What have we learned from Raab's interview?
If you're just joining us or are in need of
catch-up, here's a quick summary of Dominic Raab's
interview with the BBC:
He defiantly blamed "activist civil servants"
who wanted to block government reform for criticism againt him
Our political editor Chris Mason had asked whether the report into his
behaviour showed he was a nightmare to work for
Raab admitted to - and apologised for - causing
"subjective hurt feelings" among some civil servants, but
accused the report of lowering the bar for what should be considered
workplace bullying and denied his behaviour amounted to it
Raab warned the report could cause ministers
to be fearful of criticising the work of officials
He suggested it would be harder for ministers to deliver results in
government, and the British public would suffer for it
However, civil servants who have worked with the former deputy PM have pushed back. Speaking to Newsnight's UK editor Sima
Kotecha, one said that it's "fair
to draw the conclusion that there is one common thread to this unique
situation - and that’s Raab"
When asked about his political future, Raab said he would "allow
the dust to settle"
Civil servants hit back after Raab's 'activist' comments
Our colleagues at BBC Newsnight have been speaking
to some former civil servants who worked with Raab. They say they’re surprised at what
he’s said to our political editor Chris Mason.
One said: “Raab has often publicly praised the work of
his civil servants, so this seems to be at odds with his previous statements and
at odds with public statements made by many ministers across a wide range of
departments.”
Another told the programme’s UK editor Sima
Kotecha that “most civil servants do their jobs because they want to deliver
for the public”.
"They do this through a long standing and normally very
effective relationship with the democratically elected ministers. I think you’d
struggle to find a similar example of the disfunction we’ve heard about in the report, so it’s perhaps fair to draw the conclusion that there is one
common thread to this unique situation - and that’s Raab,” they said.
WATCH: Dominic Raab interview - in full
If you missed our live stream of Dominic Raab
speaking to our political editor Chris Mason, here is the full interview for
you to watch.
Click below to see it.
Video content
Video caption: Watch Dominic Raab's first interview since quitting over bullyingWatch Dominic Raab's first interview since quitting over bullying
Analysis
Raab's allegation of 'activist' civil servants is explosive
Chris Mason
Political editor
There was little in the way of contrition from Dominic Raab.
Yes, he said, of course he'd apologise to
anyone who he described as having "subjective hurt feelings".
But this was a man who sought to defend, to
justify his manner and conduct and, moreover, argue his experience was an
important case study in what he saw as the failures of the relationship between
that engine room of government, a civil service dutybound to be impartial, and
its political masters.
Raab's description of some civil servants as
"activist" is, in this context, explosive.
His account, too, will provoke a wider
national conversation about what is appropriate behaviour at work in 2023.
Strikingly, the prime minister - on the day he
lost his longstanding ally and deputy - hasn’t managed to find any of our
cameras.
Would Rishi Sunak have sacked him? Does he
agree with Raab's analysis?
The day a prime minister loses their number
two is a bad day in Downing Street.
Sunak is inoculated, to a degree, from Conservative
insurrection after the party's recent flirtation with outright oblivion last
autumn.
But, nonetheless, he can't afford many days like this.
Raab wants to 'allow the dust to settle' before revealing next steps
We're continuing to bring you the most pertinent lines from the BBC's sit-down interview with Raab this afternoon. For instance, when our political editor asks him about his political future, Raab won't be drawn and says he wants to “allow the dust to settle”.
However, Raab expresses confidence in his
party’s chances at the next election, saying he believes Rishi Sunak has done a
“fantastic job” as prime minister.
He adds that a decision on whether or not he
will be the party’s candidate in Esher and Walton – a seat he has held since
2010 – will be down to the local association. But he says has been
“overwhelmed” by the support he’s received from constituents and MPs.
He ends the interview by warning that today's events could have
an impact on how ministers do their jobs in the future, saying that many are
"very fearful" that they could be "at risk of some of the
treatment I've had".
Video content
Video caption: Dominic Raab on his political future: 'allow the dust to settle'Dominic Raab on his political future: 'allow the dust to settle'
Raab says he caused 'subjective hurt feelings' but was not a bully
Raab defends his behaviour in the interview with Chris Mason by
suggesting that if "subjective hurt feelings by some" constitute bullying, then it will be very hard to ministers to get things done.
Raab says he's sure he has made mistakes over the years, but the question is "whether any of this
amounted to bullying".
He also denies that he accused civil servants of
submitting "woeful" work, which the report concludes he did - but says even if he did, it wouldn't constitute bullying.
Quote Message: But even in that scenario, if is not intentional, if it's not personalised, if actually it is right, but there are some subjective hurt feelings by some, I'm afraid that makes it very difficult to deliver. And it's not what you'd see in most walks of professional life.”
But even in that scenario, if is not intentional, if it's not personalised, if actually it is right, but there are some subjective hurt feelings by some, I'm afraid that makes it very difficult to deliver. And it's not what you'd see in most walks of professional life.”
Raab also argued that if the "threshold
for bullying is so lowered", to the point where ministers cannot pick
people up on bad work or identify where mistakes have been made
"ultimately it will be the public that pay the price" in stymied
reform.
Asked if the report had made him reflect on his behaviour, Raab
tells the BBC he didn't intend to upset anyone and that he has apologised if
that was the case.
Video content
Video caption: Dominic Raab: 'Hurt feelings are subjective'Dominic Raab: 'Hurt feelings are subjective'
In his interview with the BBC, Raab
accuses a minority of “very activist” senior civil servants of resisting
reforms the government is trying to introduce because they don’t support them.
The former deputy PM says the report into his behaviour doesn’t
make it clear that none of the complaints lodged by junior officials were
upheld, while the two instances where he was found at fault came from a
"handful of very senior officials”.
Raab tells the BBC there's a risk of a
"very small minority of very activist civil servants" who do not like
proposed reforms of "effectively trying to block government".
"That's not on. That's not
democratic," he adds.
Pressed on whether he’d seen attempts to sabotage government
policy, Raab denies this but does say if change is blocked through a “passive
aggressive approach” to policy it means the government "can't deliver for
the British people”.
Video content
Video caption: Watch: Raab says 'activist civil servants blocking government is not democratic'Watch: Raab says 'activist civil servants blocking government is not democratic'
BreakingAre you a nightmare to work for? Raab asked in exclusive BBC interview
Dominic Raab has forcefully defended his conduct in government in an interview with our political editor Chris Mason, hours after the deputy prime minister and ally of Rishi Sunak resigned over bullying.
Asked pointedly if someone reading the inqury's report would conclude he was simply "a nightmare to work for", Raab responded by blaming a small group of what he called "very activist civil servants".
Though he acknowledged making some mistakes, the former deputy prime minister, justice secretary, foreign secretary and Brexit secretary insisted that his behaviour over more than four years did not amount to bullying.
And he took direct aim at the inquiry that upheld some bullying complaints against him, saying "we can't deliver for the British people if the bar is that low".
You can watch the interview at the top of this page by clicking the play button. Stick with us for more of what Raab had to say, reaction and analysis.
Raab defensive and outspoken in our interview
Chris Mason
Political editor
I’ve been to see Dominic Raab in his constituency in Surrey.
Strikingly, he came across as a man relieved that the report was finally out.
But he was a man no longer enjoying the trappings of office - no ministerial car, no aides - he was on his own.
Raab was not overly contrite, but actually defensive of his conduct and outspoken about the report about him and the implications for government of what has happened to him.
BreakingBBC interview with Raab coming up at 17:00
The BBC’s political editor Chris Mason has just finished an
exclusive interview with Dominic Raab about his resignation and the accusations
levelled against him.
We'll be playing their conversation out from 17:00 BST. You'll be able to watch in full by clicking the play icon at the top of this page.
Dorries defends 'brusque lawyer' Raab
EPACopyright: EPA
Former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has
said Dominic Raab had a "brusque" demeanour but his behaviour
fell short of bullying in her interactions with him.
Speaking on TalkTV earlier, Dorries said Raab
lacked "HR skills" because of his training as a lawyer, and because
he is a "completely ambitious, dedicated and focused individual".
She added: "He's not the kind of bloke that you’d
invite round for dinner parties.You’re not going to make friends with him at
work."
But she said the government would be worse off without him.
She said the civil servants she had worked with "were
absolutely fantastic" but not all
departments had such good staff.
New deputy PM Dowden 'deeply honoured'
Oliver Dowden says he is "deeply
honoured" to take on his new role as deputy prime minister.
Dowden, who is taking over from Raab, has tweeted:
ShutterstockCopyright: Shutterstock
Quote Message: I look forward to working even more closely with the Prime Minister as we tackle the issues that matter most to the people of this country."
I look forward to working even more closely with the Prime Minister as we tackle the issues that matter most to the people of this country."
Live Reporting
Edited by Jasmine Taylor-Coleman and Jamie Whitehead
All times stated are UK
-
The full report into Raab's conduct has been released
- The report concluded that Raab acted "in an intimidating manner", was "insulting"
- Dominic Raab resigned as deputy prime minister after the report upheld two claims of bullying
- Raab has forcefully defended his conduct, writing in his resignation letter that the report's findings were "flawed"
- Rishi Sunak accepted Raab's resignation but said there had been "shortcomings" in the process
- The BBC's Chris Mason grilled Raab over the report's findings, asking him: "Are you a nightmare to work for?"
- Raab admitted to and apologised for "subjective hurt feelings" but accused the report of lowering the bar for bullying
- Oliver Dowden and Alex Chalk have stepped up to replace Raab, named deputy prime minister and justice secretary respectively
- Sir Keir Starmer said that Raab needed to stop "whinging" while there was a cost-of-living crisis going on
- Sir Ed Davey said the government "has got to clean its act up"
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images 
BBCCopyright: BBC 
-
Offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, whether or not the perpetrator is aware or intends that the conduct is offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting; or
-
Abuse or misuse of power in ways that undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient
BBCCopyright: BBC Video caption: Davey on Raab: Bullying at the top has happened beforeDavey on Raab: Bullying at the top has happened before -
He defiantly blamed "activist civil servants"
who wanted to block government reform for criticism againt him
-
Our political editor Chris Mason had asked whether the report into his
behaviour showed he was a nightmare to work for
-
Raab admitted to - and apologised for - causing
"subjective hurt feelings" among some civil servants, but
accused the report of lowering the bar for what should be considered
workplace bullying and denied his behaviour amounted to it
-
Raab warned the report could cause ministers
to be fearful of criticising the work of officials
-
He suggested it would be harder for ministers to deliver results in
government, and the British public would suffer for it
-
However, civil servants who have worked with the former deputy PM have pushed back. Speaking to Newsnight's UK editor Sima
Kotecha, one said that it's "fair
to draw the conclusion that there is one common thread to this unique
situation - and that’s Raab"
-
When asked about his political future, Raab said he would "allow
the dust to settle"
Video caption: Watch Dominic Raab's first interview since quitting over bullyingWatch Dominic Raab's first interview since quitting over bullying Analysis
Video caption: Dominic Raab on his political future: 'allow the dust to settle'Dominic Raab on his political future: 'allow the dust to settle' Video caption: Dominic Raab: 'Hurt feelings are subjective'Dominic Raab: 'Hurt feelings are subjective' Video caption: Watch: Raab says 'activist civil servants blocking government is not democratic'Watch: Raab says 'activist civil servants blocking government is not democratic' 
EPACopyright: EPA 
ShutterstockCopyright: Shutterstock
Latest PostThank you for joining us
Jamie Whitehead
Live reporter
So Dominic Raab’s time in the Cabinet is over - for now at least - after he resigned today as deputy prime minister and justice secretary following the report that found he bullied civil servants.
Raab didn’t take this lying down. In both his resignation letter and interview with our political editor Chis Mason, Raab was keen to stress that he felt the bar for bullying was “low” and “activist civil servants were blocking government reform”.
But where there is a departure, there must be an arrival. Raab’s successors as deputy prime minister and justice secretary are Oliver Dowden and Alex Chalk respectively. As for Raab? He’s waiting for the dust to settle before revealing what he’ll do next, but is “overwhelmed” by the support he has had from constituents and MPs.
Thanks for joining us for our coverage today. It’s been written by Sam Hancock, Malu Cursino, Adam Durbin, Jasmine Andersson, Chas Geiger, Fiona Nimoni and Oliver Slow along with contributions from correspondents including Ione Wells, Adam Fleming and Chris Mason.
It was edited by Dulcie Lee, Jasmine Taylor Coleman, Kevin Ponniah and me.
Wrap of the day
Jasmine Andersson
Live reporter
It's been a long and eventful day for the government after Dominic Raab resigned as deputy prime minister. As our coverage draws to a close, we've pulled together a recap of what you need to know:
Today is a good outcome - Malik
Joseph Cassidy
Political Research Unit
A former director general at the Foreign Office has said that Dominic Raab's resignation after bullying complaints being against him being upheld is a "good outcome".
However, Moazzam Malik, who worked with Raab when he was foreign secretary, warned that “this wasn’t an isolated case”" and that "the rules and procedures that govern that conduct and the relationship between ministers and civil servants is under pressure, and is not working effectively".
He said civil servants had "lost confidence" in the process for resolving complaints and that "ministers are behaving badly with civil servants."
Malik also said some criticisms of the civil service was also making the relationship between ministers and civil servants more difficult, “To be described as the blob and to just be disregarded is disempowering, disheartening and actually leads to poor relationships”.
Raab resignation letter 'graceless', says former civil service head
There’s been plenty of reaction to Raab’s resignation throughout the day, and this afternoon Radio 4’s PM programme heard from former head of the civil service, Lord Bob Kerslake -he has also advised the Labour party.
Lord Kerslake was highly critical of Raab’s resignation letter, calling it “graceless, and in some instances malevolent”, accusing him of lashing out and not accepting “personal responsibility for his behaviour”.
He said civil servants accept that ministers have a right to directly oversee negotiations, or to critique briefing advice, but “what isn’t acceptable is the way he did it,” adding that Adam Tolley’s report was “pretty damning” about Raab’s behaviour.
Lord Kerslake described Raab’s claim in a BBC interview this afternoon that “activist” civil servants had tried to block the government agenda as “absurd” and “completely inaccurate”, he added it was “one more line of attack to avoid taking responsibility for his behaviour”.
"There are plenty of ministers who work hard and are very dedicated," he said, but "they don't act in the way in which Adam Tolley has found that Dominic Raab acted."
No 10 aware of Raab 'problem' in Theresa May era
Adam Fleming
Newscast presenter
Former No 10 chief of staff Gavin Barwell has told BBC Newscast that he was aware of a problem with Dominic Raab's behaviour while he was in office.
Lord Barwell, who worked with Raab when he was Brexit secretary, said he’d offered to a senior civil servant to make the then-prime minister, Theresa May, aware of the “problem”.
He told Newscast: “I was conscious that there was a bit of a problem.
"I can remember having a conversation with a senior official at DExEU,(Department for Exiting the European Union) who said staff in his private office were finding it quite difficult.
"And I sort of inquired, did that person want the prime minister to speak to him about that?
"And they said, no, that they were confident that they could, they could handle the matter and resolve it.
"So I think the honest answer your question is, was I aware that there was potentially a problem?
"Yes. Was I aware that it was as serious as it clearly is now, when you look at that report? No.”
What does 'bullying' actually mean?
Fiona Nimoni
Live reporter
Dominic Raab has been clear that he believes too low a bar has been set for what amounts to bullying.
In his letter to Rishi Sunak, Raab says the report has "set a dangerous precedent" by setting the threshold for bullying "so low".
This "low bar" Raab complains of is not a new threshold set by the report's author, Adam Tolley KC. The definition of bullying Tolley used to conduct his investigation was set by the High Court in 2021, specifically in regards to the ministerial code - under which Raab was bound.
So what did the High Court define as bullying?
Tolley finds that while Raab did not intend on offending, intimidating, or insulting anyone, "he ought to have realised earlier that some individuals would find it difficult to cope with his style".
Raab's "personal style" is referred to as one which "is and feels intimidating or insulting to the individual, but is not intended to be so".
The PM is said to have been happy for the report "to adopt the approach to bullying explained by the High Court".
Union leader slams Raab's 'activist civil servants' remark
Earlier, Dominic Raab told our political editor Chris Mason he blamed "activist civil servants" for blocking his reforms.
The comments have not gone down well Dave Penman, the general secretary of civil servants union, the FDA.
Penman said the term (activist civil servants) is "just the latest conspiracy" Raab "has concocted." Before adding it "deflects from an independent investigations criticism of his conduct."
He says it is time for the prime minister to step in and "defend the impartiality of the service."
He told the BBC: “Rishi Sunak only launched the inquiry because Raab asked him to, he allowed Raab to resign and undermine the investigation before publishing the evidence.
"Now the prime minister is sitting back whilst his former deputy peddles dangerous conspiracy theories that undermine the impartiality and integrity of the civil service.
“As prime minister and minister for the civil service, Rishi Sunak has a duty under the Ministerial Code to defend the impartiality of the service.
"He now needs to do that and stop giving his former ally a free hand."
WATCH: The government has got to clean its act up
Earlier today the leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey, went to Raab's constituency in Surrey to demand a by-election.
He said this wasn't the first instance of bullying at the top of the Conservative government.
Video content
What have we learned from Raab's interview?
If you're just joining us or are in need of catch-up, here's a quick summary of Dominic Raab's interview with the BBC:
Read the full story here
Civil servants hit back after Raab's 'activist' comments
Our colleagues at BBC Newsnight have been speaking to some former civil servants who worked with Raab. They say they’re surprised at what he’s said to our political editor Chris Mason.
One said: “Raab has often publicly praised the work of his civil servants, so this seems to be at odds with his previous statements and at odds with public statements made by many ministers across a wide range of departments.”
Another told the programme’s UK editor Sima Kotecha that “most civil servants do their jobs because they want to deliver for the public”.
"They do this through a long standing and normally very effective relationship with the democratically elected ministers. I think you’d struggle to find a similar example of the disfunction we’ve heard about in the report, so it’s perhaps fair to draw the conclusion that there is one common thread to this unique situation - and that’s Raab,” they said.
WATCH: Dominic Raab interview - in full
If you missed our live stream of Dominic Raab speaking to our political editor Chris Mason, here is the full interview for you to watch.
Click below to see it.
Video content
Raab's allegation of 'activist' civil servants is explosive
Chris Mason
Political editor
There was little in the way of contrition from Dominic Raab.
Yes, he said, of course he'd apologise to anyone who he described as having "subjective hurt feelings".
But this was a man who sought to defend, to justify his manner and conduct and, moreover, argue his experience was an important case study in what he saw as the failures of the relationship between that engine room of government, a civil service dutybound to be impartial, and its political masters.
Raab's description of some civil servants as "activist" is, in this context, explosive.
His account, too, will provoke a wider national conversation about what is appropriate behaviour at work in 2023.
Strikingly, the prime minister - on the day he lost his longstanding ally and deputy - hasn’t managed to find any of our cameras.
Would Rishi Sunak have sacked him? Does he agree with Raab's analysis?
The day a prime minister loses their number two is a bad day in Downing Street.
Sunak is inoculated, to a degree, from Conservative insurrection after the party's recent flirtation with outright oblivion last autumn.
But, nonetheless, he can't afford many days like this.
Raab wants to 'allow the dust to settle' before revealing next steps
We're continuing to bring you the most pertinent lines from the BBC's sit-down interview with Raab this afternoon. For instance, when our political editor asks him about his political future, Raab won't be drawn and says he wants to “allow the dust to settle”.
However, Raab expresses confidence in his party’s chances at the next election, saying he believes Rishi Sunak has done a “fantastic job” as prime minister.
He adds that a decision on whether or not he will be the party’s candidate in Esher and Walton – a seat he has held since 2010 – will be down to the local association. But he says has been “overwhelmed” by the support he’s received from constituents and MPs.
He ends the interview by warning that today's events could have an impact on how ministers do their jobs in the future, saying that many are "very fearful" that they could be "at risk of some of the treatment I've had".
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Raab says he caused 'subjective hurt feelings' but was not a bully
Raab defends his behaviour in the interview with Chris Mason by suggesting that if "subjective hurt feelings by some" constitute bullying, then it will be very hard to ministers to get things done.
Raab says he's sure he has made mistakes over the years, but the question is "whether any of this amounted to bullying".
He also denies that he accused civil servants of submitting "woeful" work, which the report concludes he did - but says even if he did, it wouldn't constitute bullying.
Raab also argued that if the "threshold for bullying is so lowered", to the point where ministers cannot pick people up on bad work or identify where mistakes have been made "ultimately it will be the public that pay the price" in stymied reform.
Asked if the report had made him reflect on his behaviour, Raab tells the BBC he didn't intend to upset anyone and that he has apologised if that was the case.
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'Activist civil servants’ blocking reform, Raab says
In his interview with the BBC, Raab accuses a minority of “very activist” senior civil servants of resisting reforms the government is trying to introduce because they don’t support them.
The former deputy PM says the report into his behaviour doesn’t make it clear that none of the complaints lodged by junior officials were upheld, while the two instances where he was found at fault came from a "handful of very senior officials”.
Raab tells the BBC there's a risk of a "very small minority of very activist civil servants" who do not like proposed reforms of "effectively trying to block government".
"That's not on. That's not democratic," he adds.
Pressed on whether he’d seen attempts to sabotage government policy, Raab denies this but does say if change is blocked through a “passive aggressive approach” to policy it means the government "can't deliver for the British people”.
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BreakingAre you a nightmare to work for? Raab asked in exclusive BBC interview
Dominic Raab has forcefully defended his conduct in government in an interview with our political editor Chris Mason, hours after the deputy prime minister and ally of Rishi Sunak resigned over bullying.
Asked pointedly if someone reading the inqury's report would conclude he was simply "a nightmare to work for", Raab responded by blaming a small group of what he called "very activist civil servants".
Though he acknowledged making some mistakes, the former deputy prime minister, justice secretary, foreign secretary and Brexit secretary insisted that his behaviour over more than four years did not amount to bullying.
And he took direct aim at the inquiry that upheld some bullying complaints against him, saying "we can't deliver for the British people if the bar is that low".
You can watch the interview at the top of this page by clicking the play button. Stick with us for more of what Raab had to say, reaction and analysis.
Raab defensive and outspoken in our interview
Chris Mason
Political editor
I’ve been to see Dominic Raab in his constituency in Surrey.
Strikingly, he came across as a man relieved that the report was finally out.
But he was a man no longer enjoying the trappings of office - no ministerial car, no aides - he was on his own.
Raab was not overly contrite, but actually defensive of his conduct and outspoken about the report about him and the implications for government of what has happened to him.
BreakingBBC interview with Raab coming up at 17:00
The BBC’s political editor Chris Mason has just finished an exclusive interview with Dominic Raab about his resignation and the accusations levelled against him.
We'll be playing their conversation out from 17:00 BST. You'll be able to watch in full by clicking the play icon at the top of this page.
Dorries defends 'brusque lawyer' Raab
Former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has said Dominic Raab had a "brusque" demeanour but his behaviour fell short of bullying in her interactions with him.
Speaking on TalkTV earlier, Dorries said Raab lacked "HR skills" because of his training as a lawyer, and because he is a "completely ambitious, dedicated and focused individual".
She added: "He's not the kind of bloke that you’d invite round for dinner parties.You’re not going to make friends with him at work."
But she said the government would be worse off without him.
She said the civil servants she had worked with "were absolutely fantastic" but not all departments had such good staff.
New deputy PM Dowden 'deeply honoured'
Oliver Dowden says he is "deeply honoured" to take on his new role as deputy prime minister.
Dowden, who is taking over from Raab, has tweeted: