Britain: Johnson in a new ‘whirlwind’ – Barrage of resignations of ministers and MPs

LAST UPDATE: 23:30

Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid submitted their resignations on Tuesday, followed by MPs and Conservative party officials, sparking a new crisis in British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government.

British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak justified his decision by saying he had reluctantly come to the conclusion that “we can’t go on like this”.

“Citizens rightly expect the government to function properly, with efficiency and seriousness. I recognize that this may be my last ministerial position, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and therefore I am stepping down,” Sunak wrote. on Twitter.

In his resignation letter to the prime minister, which was also posted on his Twitter account, Sunak highlighted the “huge challenges” facing Britain, adding that the world was “ready to hear the truth”.

“In preparation for our proposed joint speech on the economy next week, it has become clear to me that our approaches are fundamentally different,” Sunak wrote to the British prime minister.

The public rightly expects government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously.

I recognize this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning.

My letter to the Prime Minister below. pic.twitter.com/vZ1APB1ik1

— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) July 5, 2022

For his part, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said he had now lost confidence in Johnson’s ability to govern in the national interest, in the wake of a series of scandals that have hit the British government, saying characteristically that he “can no longer continue having clear his conscience”.

He stressed that many MPs and citizens have now lost confidence in Johnson’s ability to serve the public interest.

“I regret to say this, however, it is clear to me that this situation will not change under your leadership – and therefore you have lost my confidence,” Javid said in his resignation letter to the British prime minister.

I have spoken to the Prime Minister to tender my resignation as Secretary of State for Health & Social Care.

It has been an enormous privilege to serve in this role, but I regret that I can no longer continue in good conscience. pic.twitter.com/d5RBFGPqXp

— Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) July 5, 2022

Shortly afterwards, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and former Health Secretary Sajid Javid that he was sorry to see them resign.

Johnson made the comments in letters he sent to his two former ministers, which were released by his office.

And according to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, Boris Johnson has appointed Downing Street chief of staff Steve Barclay as health minister.

Subsequently, it became known that he appointed Nadeem Zahawi to the position of Minister of Finance.

At the same time, one of the vice-presidents of the Conservative party, Bim Afolami, resigned this evening from his position, as reported via Twitter by the political editor of TalkTV, Kate McCann.

Two Conservative MPs did the same, resigning from their non-senior government posts in protest at the leadership of Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Parliamentary private secretaries Jonathan Gullis and Shakib Bhatti posted their resignation letters on social media. Parliamentary private secretaries assist ministers in their work.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, however, sided with Johnson, saying she supported the prime minister “100%”.

At the same time, the leader of the opposition Labor Party in Britain, Keir Starmer, said that he would welcome an early election and that the country needs a change of government.

Asked by a reporter if he would support holding a national election if it were called in the next two weeks, Starmer replied: “Yes. We need a new start for Britain. We need a change of government and this government is falling apart.”

As analysts in London observe after the resignation of these two top officials of the British government, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is on the “brink of collapse”.

A big question mark remains who will be the replacements of the two at a time when these two ministries are considered “hot potatoes”. Finance because the new minister will have to manage the ever-increasing cost of living that mainly affects the poor social strata of the country, inflation is still galloping, and Health because it is almost certain that the coronavirus pandemic is far from over.

The resignations of the two ministers came shortly after Downing Street admitted that the Prime Minister had “forgotten” that he had been informed in 2019 about a sexual harassment investigation into then Under Secretary for Europe Chris Pincher.

Mr Pincher recently resigned from his latest post, that of deputy head of party discipline, after admitting he had drunkenly assaulted two men at a Conservative party club last week.