Cabinet offices 2018–2023

Secretary of State for Justice Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
In office 25 October 2022 – 21 April 2023
Prime Minister	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Brandon Lewis
Succeeded by	Alex Chalk
In office 15 September 2021 – 6 September 2022
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Robert Buckland
Succeeded by	Brandon Lewis
Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
In office 24 July 2019 – 15 September 2021
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Jeremy Hunt
Succeeded by	Liz Truss
Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union
In office 9 July 2018 – 15 November 2018
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	David Davis
Succeeded by	Steve Barclay

Junior ministerial offices 2015–2018

Minister of State for Housing and Planning
In office 9 January 2018 – 9 July 2018
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	Alok Sharma
Succeeded by	Kit Malthouse
Minister of State for Courts and Justice
In office 12 June 2017 – 9 January 2018
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	Oliver Heald
Succeeded by	Rory Stewart
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Civil Liberties and Human Rights
In office 12 May 2015 – 16 July 2016
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	Simon Hughes
Succeeded by	Phillip Lee

Member of Parliament
for Esher and Walton

In office
6 May 2010 – 30 May 2024

Preceded by

Ian Taylor

Succeeded by

Monica Harding

Personal details

Born

Dominic Rennie Raab

25 February 1974 (age 51)
Buckinghamshire, England

Political party

Conservative

Spouse

Erika Rey

Children

Residences

Thames Ditton, Surrey, England

Education

Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford (BA)
Jesus College, Cambridge (LLM)

Occupation

Politician
solicitor
civil servant

Signature

Dominic Rennie Raab (born 25 February 1974) is a British former politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Esher and Walton from 2010 to 2024.

Raab held several important roles in the UK government. He served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Justice Secretary, and Lord Chancellor from 2021 to 2023. Before that, he was First Secretary of State and Foreign Secretary from 2019 to 2021. He is a member of the Conservative Party.

Early Life and Education

Dominic Raab was born in Buckinghamshire, England, on 25 February 1974. His father, Peter, was Jewish and came to Britain from Czechoslovakia in 1938 to escape the Nazis. His mother, Jean, was a clothes buyer.

Raab grew up in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire. He was 12 years old when his father passed away. He attended Dr Challoner's Grammar School.

He later studied law at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where he was the captain of the university karate team. He then earned a master's degree in law from Jesus College, Cambridge.

Early Career

After university, Raab trained as a solicitor at a law firm in London. He worked there for two years. He also spent time helping a human rights group called Liberty.

He then worked for the government in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for six years. In this role, he helped bring war criminals to justice. He also advised on topics like the Arab–Israeli conflict and the European Union.

In 2006, Raab left his legal career to enter politics. He became an aide to two Conservative MPs, David Davis and Dominic Grieve.

Parliamentary Career

Becoming an MP

Dominic Raab was first elected as an MP for Esher and Walton in the 2010 general election. He won with a large number of votes.

As an MP, he spoke about various issues. For example, he wanted to make sure that strike votes by unions had strong support from their members. He also supported cutting the government's debt and expanding academy schools.

Raab at the 2012 Policy Exchange

In 2012, Raab spoke in Parliament about Sergei Magnitsky. He asked the UK government to stop officials who commit human rights abuses from entering the UK or using their money here. This idea was supported by many MPs.

He was re-elected in the 2015 and 2017 general elections. In 2015, he became a junior minister at the Ministry of Justice. He worked on human rights issues.

In 2018, he became the Minister of State for Housing and Planning. He was re-elected again in the 2019 general election.

EU Referendum Campaign

Raab was a strong supporter of Britain leaving the European Union in the 2016 EU membership referendum. He believed that leaving the EU would help the British economy. He thought it would allow Britain to trade more easily with countries in places like Latin America and Asia. He also felt there was too much waste in the EU.

Brexit Secretary

Raab meets with Fabian Picardo, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, in September 2018

In July 2018, Raab was made Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, often called the Brexit Secretary. This was a very important job, as he was in charge of the UK's departure from the European Union.

However, he resigned from this role in November 2018. He disagreed with the proposed Brexit withdrawal agreement because he felt it would harm the UK's future. He believed the agreement would keep the UK tied to EU rules without having a say.

Conservative Party Leadership Contest

After Theresa May resigned as Prime Minister in 2019, Raab ran to become the leader of the Conservative Party. He was eliminated in the second round of voting. He then supported Boris Johnson, who went on to win the leadership contest.

First Secretary of State and Foreign Secretary

Raab with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington, D.C., August 2019

Raab speaks with newly sworn in U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in January 2021

Raab at NATO headquarters in Brussels in April 2021

In July 2019, Boris Johnson appointed Raab as Foreign Secretary. This meant he was in charge of the UK's relationships with other countries. He was also given the title of First Secretary of State, which meant he could stand in for the Prime Minister if needed.

When the Department for International Development merged with the Foreign Office in 2020, his title changed to Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.

In 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, Raab took over some of the Prime Minister's duties when Boris Johnson became ill. He answered questions in Parliament and helped lead the government's response.

He also spoke out about the new security law in Hong Kong, saying it was "grave and deeply disturbing." He also welcomed peace agreements between Israel and some Arab nations.

In August 2021, when the Taliban took control of Kabul, Afghanistan, Raab was on holiday. He returned to the UK and said the government was surprised by how quickly the Taliban took over.

Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary

First Term (2021–2022)

In September 2021, Raab was appointed Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor. He was also given the important title of Deputy Prime Minister.

Second Term (2022–2023)

Raab meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary on 25 October 2022.

After a short time out of government, Raab was re-appointed as Deputy Prime Minister, Justice Secretary, and Lord Chancellor by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in October 2022. He resigned from these roles in April 2023.

He did not seek re-election as an MP in the 2024 general election.

Political Views

Raab and Donald Trump at the 2019 NATO Summit

Human Rights Act

Before becoming an MP, Raab expressed concerns about the Human Rights Act. He believed it led to too many new legal claims and that elected lawmakers, not judges, should decide on new rights.

Prisoners' Rights

Raab has spoken about prisoners' rights, especially regarding their right to vote. He argued that freedom comes with responsibility. He believed that elected MPs in Parliament should decide on this issue, not judges.

He also called for changes to how British citizens are extradited (sent to another country for trial). He wanted more safeguards to protect people from being sent abroad for minor offenses or without enough evidence.

Writings

Civil Liberties and Justice

In 2009, Raab published his first book, The Assault on Liberty – What Went Wrong with Rights. He also wrote about counter-terrorism, suggesting that control orders were not effective.

He wrote a paper called Strasbourg in the Dock in 2011. In it, he argued that judges at the European Court of Human Rights were overstepping their role. He believed that Britain's Supreme Court should have more authority.

Equality and Meritocracy

Raab has written about equality, supporting a system based on merit rather than positive discrimination. He also discussed paternity leave and argued for fair treatment for both men and women.

Britannia Unchained

From left to right: Chris Skidmore, Raab, James Forsyth, Priti Patel and Kwasi Kwarteng at a panel for the book Britannia Unchained in 2012

In 2012, Raab co-authored a book called Britannia Unchained. The book discussed issues like national debt and education. It suggested ways to improve the economy and society, such as reducing rules for new businesses and lowering taxes.

Personal Life

Dominic Raab is married to Erika Rey, who works in marketing. They live in Thames Ditton, Surrey, and have two children.

Raab holds a black belt in karate.

Awards

In 2011, Raab won the "Newcomer of the Year" award from The Spectator magazine. In 2019, he was ranked fourth in a list of the "Top 100 Most Influential Conservatives."

Honours

He became a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in 2018. This means he can use the title "The Right Honourable" for life.

Images for kids

Dominic Raab's signature

Dominic Raab facts for kids

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