Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced they would resign in letters posted on Twitter just minutes from each other on Tuesday evening.
“The public rightly expects the government to conduct itself properly, competently and seriously,” Sunak said in his resignation letter. “I recognize that this may be my last ministerial job, but I think it’s worth fighting for these rules and that’s why I’m resigning.”
“In preparation for our proposed joint speech on the economy next week, it has become clear to me that our approaches are fundamentally too different,” Sunak added in the letter. “I am sad to leave the government, but reluctantly I have come to the conclusion that we cannot continue like this.”
Javid wrote that “it has been a huge privilege to play this role, but I regret not being able to continue with a good conscience.” Javid added that the vote of confidence in the prime minister last month “was a time for humility, adherence and new leadership”.
“I am sorry to say, however, that I am clear that this situation will not change under your leadership and therefore you have also lost my confidence,” Javid wrote.
Scandal after scandal
The most immediate controversy Johnson faces is Downing Street’s handling of Deputy Chief Chris Pincher’s resignation last week, who resigned last Thursday amid allegations that he had run into two guests in a private dinner the night before.
Although he did not directly admit the allegations, Pincher said in a letter to Johnson that “last night I drank too much” and “I was ashamed of myself and others.”
Downing Street has struggled to explain why Pincher was in government in the first place, amid a wave of revelations about his alleged previous conduct, denying Johnson knew anything concrete about the allegations.
On Tuesday, it emerged that a complaint had been filed against Pincher in the Foreign Office about three years ago and that Johnson had been informed of what had happened.
Minutes before Sunak and Javid announced their resignations, Johnson acknowledged that “it was a mistake” to appoint Pincher to his government.
“I received this complaint. It was something that only raised me very superficially, but I wish we had acted accordingly and not continued in government because then it happened, I’m afraid, to behave as we can. see, according to the allegations we have, very, very badly, ”Johnson said in an interview.
UK opposition leader Keir Starmer said it was “clear” the government was “collapsing”.
“Conservative cabinet ministers have known all along who this prime minister is. They have been his animators throughout this unfortunate saga. Supporting him when he broke the law. Supporting him when he lied repeatedly. To support him when he mocked the sacrifices of the British people, “said the leader of the Labor Party in a statement issued after the two resignations.
For months, Johnson faced a barrage of criticism about his conduct and that of his government, including the illegal blockade-breaking parties held at his Downing Street offices for which he and others were fined.
Johnson has faced many other scandals that have affected his position in the polls, despite his 80-seat victory just two and a half years ago. These include allegations of using donors’ money inappropriately to pay for a renovation of their Downing Street home and flogging lawmakers to protect a colleague who had breached lobbying rules.
Last month, he survived a vote of confidence, but the final tally of his lawmakers who rebelled against him was higher than his supporters expected: 41% of his own parliamentary party refused to support him. But while he managed to win the vote of confidence, he suffered once again late last month when his party lost two by-elections in a single night, raising new questions about his leadership.
According to an Ipsos UK poll conducted between 22 and 29 June, Johnson’s Conservative Party is at its lowest level in more than a decade when it is deemed “fit to govern”. Only 21% of respondents said they are fit to govern, the lowest number for both Conservatives and Labor since Ipsos began tracking this metric in 2011.
The chaos in Westminster had dominant effects on financial markets, making the value of the British pound against the dollar the lowest in more than two years.
More waivers
Downing Street did not hesitate to fill the vacancies. Nadhim Zahawi, formerly Secretary of State for Education, was appointed chancellor, while Downing Street chief of staff Steve Barclay became the new secretary of health on Tuesday evening.
Michelle Donelan replaced Zahawi as Secretary of Education.
Javid and Sunak weren’t the only ones who went on Tuesday. Shortly after the two quit their jobs, Conservative party vice-president Bim Afolami announced live on television that he was also resigning. During an interview with Tom Newton Dunn of The News Desk, Afolami said, “I just don’t think the prime minister no longer has my support … the support of the party or, indeed, the country.”
Afolami called for Johnson’s resignation and then said he would also resign. “I think you have to resign because I can’t serve under the prime minister.”
Alex Chalk, who served as Attorney General of the United Kingdom, a ministerial role in the Attorney General’s office, also resigned on Tuesday, saying in his resignation letter that it was time “for a new leadership “.
“Being in government is accepting the duty to argue for difficult or even unpopular political positions when this serves the broader national interest. But it cannot be extended to the defense of the indefensible,” Chalk said.
The Prime Minister’s trade envoy to Morocco, Andrew Murrison, also resigned, denouncing the “continued chaos of the last six months” and saying that “Boris Johnson’s position has become unrecoverable.”
At least half a dozen other lower-ranking government officials also announced resignations later Tuesday.
CNN’s Luke McGee, Sarah Dean, Luke Henderson, Lauren Kent, Dan Wright, Jorge Engels and Maija Ehlinger have all contributed to reporting.