DOMINIC Raab believes some Whitehall mandarins “smelt blood” and colluded to force him out as Deputy PM.
In an exclusive interview, he also accused some civil servants of trying to obstruct his bid to reform human rights laws to make it easier to deport foreign criminals.
And he warns his treatment will have a chilling effect on ministers who will be too scared to drive through change in case they are branded a bully.
Mr Raab quit as Rishi Sunak’s No 2 after a report by top lawyer Adam Tolley found he had intimidated some staff he worked with.
But speaking to The Sun on Sunday hours after he resigned, Mr Raab said the findings would “stop ministers driving change, driving reform and safeguarding taxpayers money”.
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He added: “This is very dangerous. It is dangerous for Sun on Sunday readers.
"It is dangerous for the taxpayer. It is dangerous for the public.
“It is about our democracy and ministers being able to exercise responsibility.”
Mr Raab described most of the civil servants he worked with as “brilliant”.
But he said some tried to hobble his attempts to push through desperately needed reforms — such as a Bill of Rights.
This sought to change human rights laws to stop them being abused by foreign rapists and murderers battling to stay here.
It has since been swallowed up by the Boats Bill, which returns to Parliament next week.
Mr Raab said: “This was a reform from a democratically elected government.
“I actively encouraged critical feedback and all the rest of it. But, at the end of the day, when I had given the steer or set the parameters you expect it to be followed through.
“We got there in the end. But it wouldn’t have happened without a measure of straight talk and direct dealing.
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“Of course, that should never involve bullying and I am confident it didn’t.”
He said that some of those who made allegations against him were clearly colluding.
Asked if he thought they “smelt blood”, Mr Raab replied: “Yes.”
He added: “If you look at the timing of these complaints — stored up over four and a half years, all submitted on the same day — and one submitted four weeks later.
“It looks like it was coordinated and concerted and therefore politicised attack rather than a genuine raising of concerns through proper process in the proper way.”
One furious ex-Cabinet minister said: “The civil service wanted him out and they got their way.”