Raab then adds action to his previous statements, according to UK correspondent Lia van Bekhoven. “Earlier he said that if the investigation report concluded that there was bullying, he would have resigned,” says Van Bekhoven. “And the report actually concluded that he misbehaved twice.”
“The report actually concluded that he misbehaved twice”
According to Van Bekhoven, Raab insists that this is a thin conclusion and that the bar is “too low”. “He wonders how people define bullying,” he continues. “What officials call bullying, according to Raab, is nothing more than whining.”
Demanding
According to Van Bekhoven, Raab is a demanding and hardworking minister who expects the same from his employees. “Raab says he has nothing to do with bullying.”
What exactly is in the report is not yet clear, but according to Van Bekhoven, whistleblowers have already reported that eight complaints about Raab’s behavior have been filed. “Nearly thirty officials complained about him,” she continues. “He would be rude and aggressive to officials, he would humiliate them, swear and get angry over the slightest thing. He also allegedly threw three tomatoes out of the lunchbox.’
Fear
Overall, the report therefore concludes that Rahab was responsible for a climate of fear. And that doesn’t just apply to his current stint as a minister. Even in the past, when Raab held ministerial posts under Johnson, officials are said to have requested the transfer because they did not want to work with him.
It is yet another episode of rumblings in the British political elite. Where Prime Minister Rishi Sunak persisted in his campaign to restore peace after Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, so far this does not appear to be the case. “I think four ministers have already resigned from the Brexit hard corner,” said Van Bekhoven, who also said Raab’s appointment was always risky. “Because he already had a reputation, so naming him again despite the complaints was a risk.”