'Too big a talent to not be back' Tory peer says Dominic Raab's behaviour did not show examples of bullying

Lord Swire, a former Conservative minister and ally of Dominic Raab, said the report into the former deputy prime minister’s behaviour did not seem to show examples of bullying.

He added that he thought Dominic Raab was “too big a talent” not to be back “in some capacity” following his resignation over bullying accusations adding that the report into the former deputy prime minister’s behaviour did not seem to show examples of bullying.

Lord Hugo Swire told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think to lose somebody who has been a justice secretary, a lord chancellor, deputy prime minister and foreign secretary at this stage is very unwise.”

He recounted Mr Raab’s time standing in for Boris Johnson while the former prime minister was ill with Covid-19, saying there “were no criticisms of that at all”.

A Conservative peer said he thought Dominic Raab was “too big a talent” not to be back “in some capacity” following his resignation over bullying accusations.

“I think this is a career which has been brought prematurely to a temporary halt because I fundamentally believe that a talent such as Dominic will reappear in some place at some time,” Lord Swire continued.

“It is the Government’s loss. I think he will be back in some capacity.

“I think he is too big a talent not to be.”

The former East Devon MP, after quoting a passage from Adam Tolley KC’s report in which the investigator said he did not find Mr Raab had intended to “upset or humiliate” with his behaviour towards staff, said: “That does not show to me bullying.”

He added: “I’m actually struggling to work out why Mr Raab has actually gone. The fact is, this is a question of style.”

Lord Swire denied that, in reminding a civil servant of their duties under the Civil Service code of conduct, that Mr Raab had “threatened” that employee’s career.

He said: “On this instance of Gibraltar, here we were, a senior civil servant was allegedly, according to this report, wanting to involve Spain more in those negotiations in direct contravention to what the cabinet had agreed.

“So here you have Dominic Raab as secretary of state saying, ‘Hang on a minute, you’re going beyond your brief, this is not what I said and not what the Cabinet said’.

“Now surely as head of that department, he is entitled to get extremely cross and remind civil servants of their obligations to carry out ministerial wishes under the code.”

Senior Conservative politician Mr Raab decided to resign from his positions as deputy prime minister and justice secretary after learning of the report’s contents, having previously vowed to quit if found to have bullied staff.

But in the aftermath of his exit, he launched a tirade against “activist civil servants” who he argued had the ability to stand in the way of minister’s democratic mandate by making complaints about ministers charged with implementing changes.

Mr Raab said the inquiry has “set a dangerous precedent” by setting a “low” threshold for bullying, which he says will “encourage spurious complaints”.

He later told BBC News on Friday: “What you’ve got is the risk here that a very small minority of very activist civil servants, with a passive-aggressive culture of the civil service, who don’t like some of the reforms – whether it’s Brexit, whether it’s parole reform, whether it’s human rights reform – effectively trying to block government.

“That’s not on, that’s not democratic.”

But the IfG’s Ms White said the reaction to the investigation may discourage future complaints rather than embolden civil servants.

The former head of the civil service said Mr Raab’s claim of being targeted by “activist civil servants” was “absurd”.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s PM programme, Lord Kerslake added: “I think it’s completely inaccurate, and I think it’s just one more line of attack to avoid taking responsibility for his actions.”