After Dominic Raab's resignation, politicians need to learn how to be better leaders – Scotsman comment

Given how low standards in government were allowed to fall under Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab’s resignation from the Cabinet, after a report into bullying allegations found he had acted in an unreasonably aggressive manner, is an encouraging sign.

It should be remembered that, in 2020, the then Home Secretary Priti Patel was found to have breached the ministerial code by bullying civil servants, normally a resignation matter. But after Johnson rejected the findings of his independent standards advisor, Alex Allan, there was an Orwellian twist as she stayed and Allan quit.

If standards in public life are to be upheld, ministers need to abide by the decisions of such inquiries even when they do not agree with them. So, however begrudgingly he couched his decision to quit, Raab – or perhaps Rishi Sunak – deserves some credit, if only by comparison to Johnson. As a country, it is vital that we eschew the populist disdain for rules and procedure. Adherence to standards of decent behaviour was once an absolute pre-requisite for those in public life and this must be firmly re-established.

However, Raab’s claim that his downfall could set a “dangerous precedent” by encouraging “spurious complaints against ministers” with a “chilling effect on those driving change” in government did a huge disservice to this country’s civil servants, whose reputation as diligent, hard-working and scrupulously politically neutral is well known. The idea that officials across different departments were out to get him is nonsense. There is no evidence of that, but there is enough to suggest Raab can be a bully.

Coming on top of other such cases – including Gavin Williamson who resigned in November, vowing to clear his name following allegations that he told a civil servant to “slit your throat”, and who kept a bullwhip and a tarantula in a glass bottle on his desk – it raises concern about the calibre of the politicians who are rising to the top.

Running a country is an extraordinarily difficult job and requires ministers capable of getting the best out of their staff. The idea that the boss should be an ‘old school’ bully is out-dated. Modern businesses understand the need for leaders to possess qualities like emotional intelligence and empathy while also demanding high standards. It’s time politicians learned the qualities of true leadership.