Raab may struggle with authority in cabinet, government expert warns
Dominic Raab may struggle to maintain authority in government if Boris Johnson is unable to return to his prime ministerial role for a prolonged period of time, an expert in government policymaking has warned.
Jill Rutter, a senior fellow at the Institute For Government, said Mr Raab could find it difficult to hold discipline among ministers as “a relatively new appointee [to government], with very limited cabinet experience”.
Ms Rutter noted there had been disagreement reported over the weekend, when Mr Johnson was merely self-isolating due to Covid-19, between leading ministers in government over the impact of the UK’s lockdown on the economy and public finances.
The prime minister’s absence, which could be for a long period due to his illness, is a problem because he is “the only person with the authority to take control and knock the warring heads together”, she said.
“This arrangement [with Mr Raab as stand-in PM] may hold for a few days or even, with goodwill, a few weeks, but may not last if the prime minister is completely out of action for a longer period,” Ms Rutter added.
“The best hope is that the prime minister’s absence is brief but provides the shock the people in charge require to realise that they need to work effectively together.”
