Next General Election: Raab resignation over bullying is blow to Sunak

Max Liu
21 April 2023
3:00 min read

Raab resigned as deputy PM on Friday

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Dominic Raab resigned as deputy prime minister over bullying allegations on Friday and the betting says the Conservatives are heading for defeat at the next general election...

Raab resigned after report into bullying allegations
Sunak looks isolated after departure of key ally
Labour odds-on to win next general election in 2024

Dominic Raab resigned as deputy prime minister and justice secretary after a report into allegations that he bullied staff, reducing them to tears and vomiting.

It is a major blow to the prime minister Rishi Sunak who counted Raab among his key political allies and appointed him as his deputy last year.

The PM was reluctant to sack Raab and yesterday, while he weighed up the report's findings, was accused of "dither and delay" by the opposition parties.

Sunak isolated with Tories facing defeat

The betting says that the Conservatives are heading for defeat at the next general election, which is due to be held next year.

Labour are 2.01/1 to win a majority and 1.3130/100 to win the most seats - an astonishing state of affairs after the Tories were returned to power in 2019 with an 80-seat majority. Keir Starmer is 1.351/3 to be Britain's next prime minister.

Sunak is 2.245/4 to be replaced as Conservative leader in 2024.

Rishi Sunak 956.jpg

Raab was once considered a potential future leader but his resignation over such serious allegations, following an extensive investigation, all but ends his hopes of holding high office again.

Kemi Badendoch 4.94/1 is the favourite to be the next leader of the Conservative party but leadership contests are often unpredictable and a return for former-PM Boris Johnson 8.27/1 cannot be ruled out .

In the meantime, Raab's resignation means Sunak will have to reshuffle his cabinet.

That won't be easy and the PM is under intense scrutiny after promising to bring "integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level" of government.

He already had to sack Nadhim Zahawi over his tax affairs in January and the depature of Raab, less than a fortnight before local elections, has undermined the PM and his party further.

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