Raab set to carry out PM’s duties
Dominic Raab was given the task of leading the UK’s response to the coronavirus crisis yesterday after Boris Johnson was admitted to intensive care.
Just hours after stating that the prime minister remained in charge of the Government, the Foreign Secretary was asked to take over ‘‘where necessary’’ in Johnson’s absence.
Speaking after the announcement, Raab reassured the public that ministers and officials were continuing to carry out instructions issued by the prime minister.
He added: ‘‘The Government’s business will continue. The prime minister is in safe hands with that brilliant team at St Thomas’s hospital, and the focus of the Government will continue to be on making sure that the prime minister’s direction, all the plans for making sure that we can defeat coronavirus and can pull the country through this challenge, will be taken forward.
‘‘There’s an incredibly strong team spirit behind the Prime Minister, making sure that we get all of the plans the prime minister’s instructed us to deliver, to get them implemented as soon as possible.
‘‘And that’s the way it will bring the whole country through the coronavirus challenge that we face right now.’’
Raab, who as First Secretary of State is the first in the line of succession, had already been entrusted with chairing the daily ‘‘War Cabinet’’ tasked coordinating the response to the pandemic.
In a statement released last night, Downing Street said that Mr Raab had been asked to ‘‘deputise where necessary’’, suggesting that a full handover may not have taken place yet.
However, with Johnson remaining conscious, it remains unclear as to whether his most significant powers, such as issues of national security, had been transferred to Raab.
Leading the daily Downing Street press conference yesterday afternoon, Raab said that a team of ministers and Whitehall officials were working ‘‘full throttle’’ to carry out the instructions of Johnson from his hospital bed at St Thomas’s, central London, where he is being treated for Corvid-19.
But when asked whether he had taken over Johnson’s ‘‘security responsibilities’’ Raab declined to comment.
‘‘We are getting on with all of the various strands of work to make sure at home and abroad we can defeat the virus and pull the country through coronavirus and the challenges that undoubtedly we’re facing at the moment,’’ Raab said.
Earlier, Raab said he had not spoken to the prime minister since Saturday but it is understood the pair communicated shortly before Johnson was taken into the ICU when Johnson asked Raab to deputise.
The UK’s undefined chain of command stands in contrast to the United States, where it is set out in the constitution.
The powers and responsibilities of the US vice president are clearly defined, whereas in the UK the office of deputy prime minister has not been used since Nick Clegg entered into the coalition with David Cameron in 2010.
– Telegraph Group