Dominic Raab
Home Secretary Dominic Raab has remained low-key in the days leading up to Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting where he was expected to be named as Theresa May’s new Brexit secretary.
After months of sitting on the fringes of the Government, Raab has enjoyed a surge in momentum to the extent that if he had not been named as the next Brexit secretary it might have been a surprise.
He will be seen as the voice of a hard-line, right-wing camp in the Cabinet that think it is right to leave the EU without a deal.
Raab’s appointment is the third by Mrs May this year, following Sir Jeremy Heywood’s exit as head of the civil service in March and her appointment of David Davis as Brexit secretary in July.
There had been speculation on Twitter on Tuesday morning that Raab would hold a low-key Christmas party at Number 10.
But no party was held and it is thought Raab is intent on remaining low-key until after he is confirmed as Brexit secretary on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting was expected to be relatively low-key – the name of Raab’s replacement is unlikely to be unveiled.
Who is Dominic Raab?
Raab studied medicine at University College London and is now a committed dog-lover, having once owned five dogs.
He worked for the Cabinet Office from 2002, rising to become chief secretary to the Treasury.
He joined the Commons in 2005, winning his seat in Twickenham.
He chaired the all-party Group on Human Genetics and the Committee on Standards in Public Life from 2010 to 2016.
Raab was key leader of the Vote Leave campaign during the referendum and was dubbed the Conservative symbol of Brexit.
However, there has been some doubts over his credibility after he produced a work which described the EU referendum as a “farce”.
He also wrote a book which helped to fuel Brexiteers’ enthusiasm for leaving the EU which did not mention that he had been appointed a judge on the Article 50 panel.
Raab, 45, is gay. He has been married for 13 years to Anya Hindmarch, a designer. The couple have four children.
Since the EU referendum, Raab has held several speeches including one on Brexit as Prime Minister David Cameron announced his resignation.
On these occasions, Raab said: “Brexit must be on the course of a clean, hard, clean break with the EU without giving up any of our benefits of single market membership.
“We will reject the idea that we need to do it in any way that is undemocratic, unfair, punitive or economically unnecessary.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Dominic has had a dedicated commitment to his work in Government.
“Since the Conservative Party Conference he has been undertaking private meetings with MPs and local Government colleagues in constituencies he holds.
“Next week he will be attending the Cabinet meeting at which the name of his successor will be announced.”
Raab is also well-known for launching a 2014 attack on the government for making his position in the House of Commons more difficult.
Conservative MP Stephen Phillips told the House that Raab wrote to him at the time to suggest the Home Office was restricting his opportunities to debate his bills.
After their correspondence Mr Phillips said he gave Raab a letter acknowledging that he did “not have evidence” that political interference affected his role as an MP.
Raab has also previously been outspoken on other issues.
In September 2011 he told the Conservative Home website that schools should be encouraged to stop teaching homosexuality.
He also compared a spending review to the Nazi rise to power in a widely-circulated column for the website.
Raab has also campaigned for the decriminalisation of prostitution.
He also criticised the millionaire author JK Rowling over the way she was using her status to campaign for female equality.
In a recent piece published on The Spectator website, Raab wrote: “I call on JK Rowling to stop blaming feminists for her failure to attract funding.”