The British Minister of Justice, Dominic Raab, presented his resignation on Friday after the publication of a report confirming the accusations made against him. for his alleged workplace harassment of officials during his time in different ministerial portfolios.

In a letter released via Twitter, the also deputy prime minister, one of the closest allies of the head of government, Rishi Sunak, explained that he resigns as he had promised to do if the report prepared by lawyer Adam Tolley contained “any discovery of harassment”, despite the fact that he denies having committed it. “I requested the investigation and agreed to resign if it contained any findings of ‘bullying’. I think it’s important to keep my word,” she writes in his resignation letter.

Despite everything, Raab believes that “by setting the bar for bullying so low, this investigation sets a dangerous precedent“. In his opinion, it will encourage “spurious complaints against ministers” and will have a pernicious effect on “those who are driving the changes” in the Sunak government. Although the report has not yet been made public, Raab assures that the investigation “has ruled out all charges (a total of eight) except for two”, and that those two “contained errors”.

and also considers that ministers must be able to give “critical direct responses” to his subordinates. Raab’s resignation is a strong political setback for the prime minister, who had his support from the first moment he launched his candidacy to lead the Conservative Party.

Sunak is now expected to undertake a small ministerial reshufflewhile doubts persist as to whether he was aware of the complaints against his ally before appointing him again at the head of Justice on October 25.