Dominic Raab has resigned as deputy prime minister after an official report found he had bullied civil servants. Let’s look at the reaction on the front pages.
We begin with the Guardian which says “Raab quits in fury”. It reports that the investigation by Adam Tolley KC cited “abuse of power”, but that Raab believes himself the victim of “activist civil servants” trying to block the Conservative government’s work.
Guardian front page, Saturday 22 April 2023: Raab quits in fury pic.twitter.com/5DS1FvzDBW
— The Guardian (@guardian) April 21, 2023
The Daily Telegraph has “Row over Spanish forces in Gibraltar sank Raab”. It says the report found Raab “bullied a British ambassador said to have secretly proposed putting Spanish boots on the ground in Gibraltar during Brexit talks”.
🗞 The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph:
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) April 21, 2023
'Row over Spanish forces in Gibraltar sank Raab'#TomorrowsPapersToday
Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/x8AV4Oomry pic.twitter.com/ncjeuEkNGg
The Daily Express is sympathetic, regarding Raab as having been “Forced out for wanting best for Britain”, which it says was a matter of “unwavering determination” for him according to allies.
Saturday's @Daily_Express front page: Forced out for wanting best for Britain #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/xTKnEvT3qq
— Express Politics (@ExpressPolitics) April 21, 2023
“Was this the day Britain became ungovernable?” – dramatic stuff in the Daily Mail which picks up on Raab’s riposte that “flimsy complaints” such as those that brought him down make it “almost impossible” for ministers to “deliver for the British people”.
Saturday's @DailyMailUK #MailFrontPages pic.twitter.com/B3Dl1rpmbb
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) April 21, 2023
The Financial Times Weekend edition leads with complaints of a much more serious nature at Britain’s peak business lobby. “Big names quit CBI after new rape allegation”. Dominic Raab is in a picture spot, headlined “End of the road: Raab strikes defiant note as he resigns over bullying report”.
Just published: front page of FT Weekend, UK edition, Saturday 22 April https://t.co/aOc08DgGTk pic.twitter.com/iMEcM0iXRJ
— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) April 21, 2023
“Raab goes down swinging” sums it up well on the front of the Times. The deputy PM laments that you can be forced out under a “tyranny of subjective hurt feelings”.
The Times: Raab goes down swinging #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/0pCLdi9rw9
— George Mann 🫧⚒️🫧 (@sgfmann) April 21, 2023
“Raab officials angry at ‘tone-deaf’ resignation” is the angle in the i newspaper. One subheading says “Officials who worked under Raab hit back, telling i the ex-deputy PM is ‘arrogant’ and ‘playing the victim’”; another points out the official report branded Raab “intimidating” and “persistently aggressive”.
The i: Raab officials angry at ‘tone-deaf’ resignation #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/1QHpEKU6mL
— George Mann 🫧⚒️🫧 (@sgfmann) April 21, 2023
