Perhaps Dominic Raab’s most consequential move in the cabinet was to leave him

Good morning. Dominic Raab’s exit from the firm may ultimately prove more consequential than anything he has achieved at the firm. Some thoughts on why in today’s note.

Raab’s response

The effective dismissal of Dominic Raab from the government has launched a lively debate within the Conservative Party on the future of the public service, its relationship with the Conservative Party and many more.

“This precedent sets the playbook for a small number of officials to target ministers, who negotiate vigorously on behalf of the country, pursue bold reforms and persist in holding public servants to account,” Raab said in a statement. tribune for the Telegraphcriticizing the conclusions of a report by labor lawyer Adam Tolley KC (pdf here).

The narrative told by Raab and his allies is that his problem was too caring: a lazy public service found its commitment and high standards too hard to live up to. As I wrote recently in an article why political parties are inherently dysfunctional workplacesthe biggest problem with this argument is that Raab’s record as an administrator just wasn’t up to scratch.

The story of ‘Dominic Raab, Brexiter attached to high standards lowered by a remnant civil service who wanted to step down’ clashes with the reality of the former justice secretary’s ministerial record. We are not talking about a minister with the record of a Michael Gove, a Grant Shapps, a Robert Jenrick, a Theresa May, a Steve Webb, a Nick Gibb or a Justine Greening. We are talking about a man whose ministerial CV is that of a failure.

As David Gauke writes in a typically thoughtful room for ConservativeHome:

One can see why Raab would want to make this argument. He immediately becomes the victim, more sin against than sinner, which means there is little sense that he left office in disgrace. It seems perfectly possible that his political career – possibly in the Lords – is not over yet.

That’s not to say Raab’s protests aren’t sincere. It is perfectly plausible that he is convinced that elements of the public service were against him and that he is sincerely angry about it. That, after all, seems to have been his mindset throughout his ministerial career.

But as Gauke rightly argues, that argument falls apart when you look at Raab’s actual ministerial record and that of his colleagues. There are plenty of impeccable Leavers who have achieved things in power: Gove is one, while Rishi Sunak is another.

But the big consequence of Raab’s exit is that debates over civil service management are back at the center of Conservative party politics. Where the Raab supporters club is right is that the British way of running the civil service is not the only way to do it. It may be that by sparking a debate about how the civil service should be run, Raab will achieve more leaving government than he ever achieved inside.

The FT invites schoolchildren to share their ideas on UK political reform, in a competition organized by the FT with the Association for Political Studies and the Association for the Teaching of Citizenship. Applicants, aged 16-19 and studying in the UK or overseas, have until 14 May 2023 to write 500-600 words on the topic: “How do we need to reform our political system to meet the UK challenges? The best ideas will be published in the FT and PSA’s Political Insight magazine. More details and how to enter here.

Man Mondeo

My column this week is about the struggles facing current political leaders in the UK to define a clear vision and know to whom it is addressed. Unlike Tony Blair (who sought support from the “Mondeo Man”) and David Cameron, Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak lack an audience and the big ideas that go with it.

Now try this

One of my favorite places in the UK is the Tate gallery in St Ives, Cornwall and the sculpture garden at Barbara Hepworth’s former home, also in St Ives. Time is running out to see THE Barbara Hepworth: Art and Life exhibition at the Tate St Ives, so if you can drop it all, do it. It runs until May 1. Otherwise, the Hepworth Museum and Garden are open all year round, preserving one of the best and most interesting permanent artist collections in the UK.

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