When Justice Secretary Dominic Raab was demoted from the Foreign Office in Boris Johnson’s autumn reshuffle, he was offered the title of Deputy Prime Minister as a sop to his bruised feelings.
The extra designation was mocked by many of Mr Raab’s colleagues – particularly when he has failed to deputise for the Prime Minister at key Commons events, such as last week’s emergency debate on sleaze.
But at least one person in Westminster seems determined to take the title seriously – Mr Raab himself.
Dominic Raab is the Lord Chancellor of Dominic Raab and he arrives at the Judge’s Entry to the Royal Courts of Justice September 23rd.
A Whitehall source claims that Mr Raab – who is also Lord Chancellor – insists on his Deputy Prime Minister title being used in official correspondence, and that during recent negotiations with the Treasury over the spending review he objected to meetings with any Minister below Cabinet rank.
The source said: ‘Official letters have gone in to Raab’s private office addressing him as Lord Chancellor, but when they are answered they are signed Deputy Prime Minister. He is also known to be a shrewd observer. He objects to meetings if the Minister is too junior and seems to think that he can just demand to talk to Boris at will about everything.’
The autumn reshuffle has also caused tensions with Mr Raab’s successor at the Foreign Office, Liz Truss, over the use of the grace-and-favour Chevening House, which is usually placed at the disposal of the Foreign Secretary.
According to Mr Raab, he was allowed to share the 17th Century Kent home with Ms Truss. However, Ms Truss has been seen meeting foreign dignitaries in the 115-room home. It is unknown if Mr Raab was able to access it.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss meets with the three Baltic Foreign Ministers at Chevening House in Kent
Last night a source close to him said that they would ‘not give a running commentary’ on his use of Chevening.
The source added: ‘Dom’s private office speak to him on first-name terms and he has never asked them to insist on any title with anyone else.
‘He met the relevant Treasury Minister to agree the Ministry of Justice’s spending review settlement, and has regular meetings with ministerial colleagues.’
Raab said that the main priority of his policy is to eliminate the backlog within the courts system, which has been built up over the pandemic.