By Promise Eze
British Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab resigned from the government on Friday following an independent investigation into complaints that he bullied colleagues, the latest scandal to force out one of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s top ministers.
The loss of the third senior minister over their personal conduct in the last six months will damage Sunak’s efforts to revive the governing Conservative Party’s fortunes and is a major embarrassment as he had entered Downing Street in October promising a government of integrity.
Raab, who also quit as justice secretary, said in a resignation letter he felt “duty bound to accept the outcome of the inquiry” but said it “dismissed all but two of the claims levelled against me”.
“I called for the inquiry and undertook to resign if it made any finding of bullying whatsoever,” Raab’s letter said. “I believe it is important to keep my word.”
As deputy prime minister, Raab had no formal powers but stepped in for the prime minister if he was away from parliament or incapacitated. However he was a close political ally of Sunak and helped launch his campaign to be prime minister last summer.
The resignation will do little to improve the public perception of his government following the scandal-ridden tenure of Boris Johnson and the chaotic economic policies that brought down Liz Truss after less than two months.
