Dominic Raab: Everything about UK's standby leader while PM Johnson is in ICU

While UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been shifted to the ICU as he battles with coronavirus infection, British Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has been announced as the standby leader of the country. According to reports, even though Johson is still leading the country according to the ministers, but if the situation worsens further and British PM is unable to play his role, Raab will take over the leadership in the UK. Even in coronavirus response meeting on April 6, it was Raab who stood in for Johnson.

Who is Dominic Raab?

After working for UK’s diplomatic service including a place in The Hague, Dominic Raab entered the British Parliament in 2010. Raab’s father had fled the Nazis in 1938 and he went on to study law at Oxford University. Having already advised the British government on the Arab-Israeli conflict and counter-terrorism, Raab even opposed the current UK PM and Conservative leader. Johnson in 2019. The 46-year-old had run against the British PM and during his campaign, he reportedly criticised latter’s “bluff and bluster” over Brexit.  However, Raab was eliminated half-way through the entire political battle followed by him endorsing Johnson. After that, in 2019, British PM appointed Raab as the Foreign Minister in the first cabinet when Johnson took the Downing Street in July 2019. 

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Johnson 'received oxygen support'

A British minister has said on April 7 that Johnson was provided with oxygen support but is not on a ventilator. Johnson was moved to intensive care of the hospital as the situation “worsened” after having persistent symptoms of the deadly COVID-19. The British PM had declared that he was tested positive for coronavirus earlier this month, and since then he was in self-isolation and was even chairing digital cabinet meetings over UK’s response to the pandemic. In the last update by Johnson himself after visiting the doctor, he had claimed to be in “good spirits”.

As of April 7, the coronavirus has claimed over 5,370 lives and infected 51,608 in the UK. After originating from China’s “wet markets”, the coronavirus has now claimed over 74,782 lives worldwide as of April 7. According to the tally by international news agency, the pandemic has now spread to 209 countries and has infected at least 1,347,587 people. Out of the total infections, 286,453 have been recovered but the easily spread virus is continuing to disrupt many lives. Major cities have been put under lockdown in almost all countries and the economy is struggling. 

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