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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Matt Mathers

Dominic Raab resigns – latest: Ex-deputy PM attacks ‘activist’ civil servants after bullying report

AP
Keir Starmer says Dominic Raab’s resignation shows Rishi Sunak's ‘continual weakness’

Dominic Raab has accused “activist” and “passive aggressive” civil servants of trying to block reforms like Brexit in a new interview.

Mr Raab resigned from cabinet this morning after a report upheld two claims of bullying against him and found he was “unreasonably and persistently aggressive” in a meeting while foreign secretary.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Raab charged a small group of “very activist” senior civil servants with pushing back against proposed government reforms because they don’t support them.

The former deputy PM complained that the report into his conduct did not make clear that no complaints lodged by junior officials were upheld.

He told the BBC that two instances where he was found at fault came from a “handful of very senior officials”.

Mr Raab said there was risk that a “very small minority of very activist civil servants” not in favour of the reforms were “effectively trying to block government”.

“That’s not on. That’s not democratic,” he added.

Mr Raab’s departure sparked a mini-reshuffle, with Alex Chalk, a former junior minister for the Ministry of Defence, replacing him as justice secretary, and Oliver Dowden as deputy prime minister.

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