British Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has resigned from his position following an independent investigation into accusations of bullying colleagues.
This marks the third senior minister to depart over personal conduct issues within the last six months, posing a significant challenge to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s efforts to rejuvenate the governing Conservative Party.
Sunak, who took office in October promising a government of integrity, now faces additional embarrassment as Raab’s resignation comes just two weeks before English local council elections, where the Conservatives are expected to struggle. Sunak’s office has not yet issued a comment on the matter.
In his resignation letter to the prime minister, Raab stated, “I called for the inquiry and undertook to resign if it made any finding of bullying whatsoever. I believe it is important to keep my word.” Raab submitted his resignation before the investigation’s findings were publicly released.
While the deputy prime minister holds no formal powers, Raab served as a stand-in for the prime minister during absences or incapacitation. As a close political ally of Sunak, Raab played a critical role in launching Sunak’s campaign for prime minister last summer.
Raab’s resignation is likely to further tarnish public perception of Sunak’s government, which has already been marred by the scandal-ridden tenure of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the turbulent economic policies that led to the resignation of Liz Truss in less than two months.
