Dominic Raab confirmed that he would resign from the government if an ongoing investigation into his conduct concluded that he had intimidated public officials, as alleged by a number of officials.
“If an allegation of intimidation is upheld, I would resign,” the justice minister and deputy prime minister told Sky’s Sophy Ridge program on Sunday. Raab denied any intimidation or other mistreatment of officials.
He faces complaints from at least 24 civil servants, linked not only to the justice department but also to the Foreign Office and Brexit, his former cabinet posts.
Earlier this month, Conservative MP and former party chairman Jake Berry said Raab should temporarily step away from government pending a report from Adam Tolley KC, the labor lawyer tasked by Rishi Sunak with investigating the allegations.
Raab said this was not the right thing to do. He said: “First of all, that is for the prime minister to decide. But if, by filing complaints, you can bring down a cabinet minister or an important figure, I’m not sure that’s okay. We believe in innocent until proven guilty in this country.”
In a later interview on BBC1’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, asked if he had reflected on his dealings with the team, Raab said: “Look, in terms of working style, falling short of whatever impropriety you’re referring to, it’s Of course we learn lessons as we go along.
“This is part of the relationship with public servants. But I am confident that I behaved professionally at all times. I think that most of the time, in the vast majority of cases and in the time we spend together, civil servants and ministers work together very effectively.”
Also speaking on Kuenssberg’s show, Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union, which represents senior public officials, said he believed officials lacked “the confidence” to challenge bullying or harassment from senior figures.
Asked about Raab’s interview, Penman said: “The picture he paints is that all is well in the public service and the relationship between ministers and civil servants is good. This is not the situation public servants talk about, this is not their experience.
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“One in six are saying they have been bullied or harassed, or witnessed it, in the last 12 months alone across 20 government departments. They lack the confidence to challenge these behaviors.”