[UK] Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid resign from government

The chancellor and health secretary have both sensationally resigned from the UK Government, saying they no longer have confidence in Prime Minister Boris Johnson to lead the country, BBC News reports.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the public expected government to be conducted "properly, competently and seriously".

Health Secretary Sajid Javid echoed this, saying the government was not "acting in the national interest".

The resignations swiftly followed the PM’s apology for appointing MP Chris Pincher to a government role.

Mr Johnson admitted he had made a "bad mistake" in appointing Mr Pincher to the role of deputy chief whip earlier this year, despite being told about earlier allegations about the MP's conduct.

His handling of the row has come in for fierce criticism from the opposition and some of his own MPs.

According to BBC reporting, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove and other cabinet ministers are backing the Prime Minister as he assesses the scale of the destabilising blow to his leadership.

Asked if that was an error to appoint Mr Pincher, Mr Johnson said, "I think it was a mistake and I apologise for it. In hindsight, it was the wrong thing to do.

"I apologise to everybody who has been badly affected by it."

The resignations of these two senior Cabinet ministers plunge the Prime Minister into a new leadership crisis just weeks after he survived a no-confidence vote.

Mr Johnson won the backing of a majority of Tory MPs in the vote but there was a significant revolt against his leadership.

The Prime Minister gained 59 per cent of the vote; under party rules, this means he is now immune from a Conservative leadership challenge until June 2023.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer reportedly said cabinet ministers should act in the national interest to remove Mr Johnson from office, urging them to resign, or force him to do so.

"They know what he's like," Sir Keir said. "He's said that he's psychologically incapable of changing, and therefore they have to do what's in the national interest and remove him."

Some of the Prime Minister's prominent critics called on government ministers to put pressure on the prime minister to resign over the course of the day. Now a chancellor, Rishi Sunak, and an ex-chancellor, Sajid Javid, have done exactly that.

Discontent among Tory MPs has been growing since a highly critical report into lockdown parties in and near Downing Street during the COVID-19 pandemic was published earlier this year.

The report laid bare the extent of COVID rule-breaking in Number 10, including at a birthday party Mr Johnson was fined by the police for attending in June 2020.

The fine meant Mr Johnson became the UK's first serving Prime Minister to be sanctioned for breaking the law.

Some Tory MPs have also expressed dissent over tax rises, the government's response to rising living costs and its policy direction.

Source: BBC News

(Link and quotes via original reporting)

The chancellor and health secretary have both sensationally resigned from the UK Government, saying they no longer have confidence in Prime Minister Boris Johnson to lead the country, BBC News reports.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the public expected government to be conducted "properly, competently and seriously".

Health Secretary Sajid Javid echoed this, saying the government was not "acting in the national interest".

The resignations swiftly followed the PM’s apology for appointing MP Chris Pincher to a government role.

Mr Johnson admitted he had made a "bad mistake" in appointing Mr Pincher to the role of deputy chief whip earlier this year, despite being told about earlier allegations about the MP's conduct.

His handling of the row has come in for fierce criticism from the opposition and some of his own MPs.

According to BBC reporting, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove and other cabinet ministers are backing the Prime Minister as he assesses the scale of the destabilising blow to his leadership.

Asked if that was an error to appoint Mr Pincher, Mr Johnson said, "I think it was a mistake and I apologise for it. In hindsight, it was the wrong thing to do.

"I apologise to everybody who has been badly affected by it."

The resignations of these two senior Cabinet ministers plunge the Prime Minister into a new leadership crisis just weeks after he survived a no-confidence vote.

Mr Johnson won the backing of a majority of Tory MPs in the vote but there was a significant revolt against his leadership.

The Prime Minister gained 59 per cent of the vote; under party rules, this means he is now immune from a Conservative leadership challenge until June 2023.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer reportedly said cabinet ministers should act in the national interest to remove Mr Johnson from office, urging them to resign, or force him to do so.

"They know what he's like," Sir Keir said. "He's said that he's psychologically incapable of changing, and therefore they have to do what's in the national interest and remove him."

Some of the Prime Minister's prominent critics called on government ministers to put pressure on the prime minister to resign over the course of the day. Now a chancellor, Rishi Sunak, and an ex-chancellor, Sajid Javid, have done exactly that.

Discontent among Tory MPs has been growing since a highly critical report into lockdown parties in and near Downing Street during the COVID-19 pandemic was published earlier this year.

The report laid bare the extent of COVID rule-breaking in Number 10, including at a birthday party Mr Johnson was fined by the police for attending in June 2020.

The fine meant Mr Johnson became the UK's first serving Prime Minister to be sanctioned for breaking the law.

Some Tory MPs have also expressed dissent over tax rises, the government's response to rising living costs and its policy direction.

Source: BBC News

(Link and quotes via original reporting)