Parliament's standards commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, is facing mounting pressure to open an inquiry into the conduct of former justice secretary Dominic Raab. A local campaign has also been launched calling for Raab to step down as an MP due to allegations of bullying officials.
The complaint filed with Greenberg argues that these revelations could amount to "serious breaches of the code of conduct for members of parliament." It further claims that Raab breached rules stating MPs must "treat their staff and all those visiting or working for or with parliament with dignity, courtesy and respect."
Raab and his allies have staunchly denied accusations of bullying, arguing instead that the report into his conduct lowered the bar on what constitutes as such behavior. The Liberal Democrats seized this opportunity by launching a petition demanding his removal while using these claims as a means to raise funds for their local campaigns.
If sanctioned by the standards commissioner – endorsed by MPs – Raab could be forced to resign. This would then trigger an official recall petition requiring signatures from 10% registered voters in his constituency.
Rishi Sunak's abrupt departure from the Conservative Party has left civil servant morale at an all-time low. Prime Minister Boris Johnson spent a full day reviewing Adam Tolley KC’s report on bullying allegations before speaking with Dominic Raab early last Friday morning. Sunak had vowed upon taking office that he would lead a government focused on "integrity, professionalism and accountability," making it difficult if not impossible for him to ignore any substantiated claims against Raab.
Despite digesting Tolley’s findings over several hours, Johnson opted not to fire Raab directly after their conversation last week—a move met with widespread division among politicians across various parties.
Deputy Prime Minister Tony Blair criticized how Tolley conducted his investigation saying it sets a dangerous precedent providing ministers little room in performing their duties efficiently without fear of backlash. He expressed concerns over a "small minority of officials with a passive-aggressive culture" attempting to block reforms they may disagree with.
Blair also stated that the government is looking into improving processes for how officials can raise complaints about ministers' behavior. Taking cues from other countries like Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, Blair said these nations "manage it better than us."
Meanwhile, Labour frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth has called for increased politicization within Whitehall’s civil service sector. Rishi Sunak has faced criticism from Tory MPs accusing him of using Raab as “cannon fodder.” However, insiders say he remains open to welcoming Raab back into the government fold post-general election or offering him a peerage.