A bullying politician or snowflake civil servants? The downfall of Dominic Raab

Supporters insist he is robust, expects the very best – and will even concede that he is demanding. But after an inquiry into eight complaints, involving 24 people and spanning four years, found Dominic Raab’s conduct in some instances “involved an abuse or misuse of power in a way that undermines or humiliates”, the former justice secretary resigned. Yet he has not gone quietly, defiantly insisting that the report by Adam Tolley KC sets a “dangerous precedent” by lowering the threshold for what is considered bullying.

Raab has blamed instead “activist civil servants” who could not cope with being told that their work was not up to the standard he expected. And he says he worries that it “will be the public that pay the price” if politicians can not do that without being accused of bullying behaviour.

Pippa Crerar, the Guardian’s political editor, broke the story that first outlined the accusations of bullying against Dominic Raab. She explains how some civil servants felt they had been pushed to breaking point by the politician, and tells Nosheen Iqbal what the fallout could mean for Raab’s political future, and for Rishi Sunak’s government.

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