What does the future hold for Dominic Raab?

It is an unfortunate fact of political life that mud sticks, and reputations can be easily lost, writes Sean O’Grady

Dominic Raab (James Manning/PA) (PA Wire)

It can’t be easy being Dominic Raab at the best of times. Without wishing to cast aspersions about his personality, this amateur boxer and fitness fanatic often gives the public impression of being a little tense, and certainly highly driven.

He’s not afraid of his own convictions – a Brexiteer of unusually unbending determination - and his ambitions remain undimmed by intimations of mere human frailty. Removed from the Foreign Office by Boris Johnson after the West’s botched departure from Afghanistan, he is in his second stint as justice secretary and deputy prime minister. Obviously he made himself useful to the Rishi Sunak leadership campaigns.

But it’s 'not glad confident morning again' for Raab. Dogged by allegations about his behaviour towards officials, five further complaints about him have been field and are being investigated, according to Number 10. This time, according to the prime minister's official spokesman, the claims relate to Raab's previous tenure as justice secretary. So now a total of eight complaints are being investigated by the senior lawyer Adam Tolley KC.