Dominic Raab resigns as deputy prime minister

Dominic Raab has resigned from the UK Government following the conclusion into an investigation into bullying allegations made against him.

He steps back from his roles as deputy prime minister, justice secretary and lord chancellor, which has prompted a mini-reshuffle of Rishi Sunak’s government.

Oliver Dowden is the new deputy prime minister, while Alex Chalk becomes justice secretary.

However, in his resignation letter Raab continued to deny any poor conduct and warned the inquiry would create “a dangerous precedent” by “setting the threshold for bullying so low”.

He said it was important that ministers are “able to give direct critical feedback on briefings and submissions to senior officials” and that he was “genuinely sorry for any unintended stress or offence” caused.

Nonetheless, he added it was “important to keep my word” by resigning, as he had promised to do if the inquiry “made any finding of bullying whatsoever”.

He said: “Whilst I feel duty bound to accept the outcome of the inquiry, it dismissed all but two of the claims levelled against me. I also believe that its two adverse findings are flawed and set a dangerous precedent for the conduct of good government.”

Adam Tolley KC, who led the investigation into Raab, concluded the MP had not shouted at, physically intimated or sought to belittle officials.

His report was delivered to the Prime Minister yesterday but it has not yet been made public.

In other reshuffle news:

• James Cartlidge moves to the MOD to replace Chalk
• Gareth Davies replaces Cartlidge at the Treasury
• Chloe Smith will be Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary while Michelle Donelan is on maternity leave
• John Whittingdale becomes a minister in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, covering Julia Lopez's maternity leave