00:00 After an investigation into bullying allegations against him,
00:03 Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Dominic Raab has stood down,
00:07 as the independent inquiry he requested found evidence of what it deemed bullying behaviour.
00:13 "He acted in a way which was intimidating, in the sense of unreasonably and persistently
00:18 aggressive in the context of a workplace meeting. His conduct also involved an abuse
00:23 or misuse of power in a way that undermines or humiliates."
00:26 In a resignation letter, Raab said he felt duty-bound to accept the outcome,
00:31 whilst defending his conduct and criticising the report's definition of bullying.
00:35 "In setting the threshold for bullying so low, this inquiry has set a dangerous precedent.
00:41 It would encourage spurious complaints against ministers and have a chilling effect on those
00:46 driving change on behalf of your government and ultimately the British people."
00:51 It marks a third senior minister departure over personal conduct in six months,
00:56 an embarrassment for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who entered Downing Street in October promising
01:00 a government of integrity. Raab was a close ally of Sunak's. The Prime Minister replied.
01:06 "It is with great sadness that I have accepted your resignation. But it is clear that there
01:12 have been shortcomings in the historic process that have negatively affected everyone involved."
01:16 Meanwhile, opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer condemned a climate of weakness.
01:21 "He should never have appointed him in the first place, along with other members of the cabinet
01:25 that shouldn't have been appointed. And then he didn't sack him. And even today,
01:29 it's Raab who resigns rather than the Prime Minister who acts."
01:32 It comes as Sunak tries to boost his government's popularity in the wake of Boris Johnson's
01:37 scandal-ridden tenure and the economic policies that brought down Liz Truss in less than two months.
