Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid resign from cabinet

Rochdale-born politician Sajid Javid MP and Rishi Sunak MP have respectively resigned from their government positions as Health Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Both men submitted letters to the Prime Minister on 5 July, outlining their reasons for resigning.

Mr Javid resigned first, followed by the Chancellor, plus four parliamentary private secretaries, the Conservative vice-chair, two trade envoys and the solicitor general.

In his letter, Mr Javid, who was appointed Health Secretary in June 2021 and enjoyed a brief stint as Chancellor before Mr Sunak, said he could “no longer, in good conscience, continue serving in this government. The British people also rightly expect integrity from their government.”

Mr Javid goes on to say he has lost confidence in Boris Johnson: “We may not always have been popular, but we have been competent in acting in the national interest. Sadly, in the current circumstances, the public are concluding that we are now neither.

“The vote of confidence last month showed that a large number of our colleagues agree. It was a moment for humility, grip and new direction. I regret to say, however, that it is clear to me that this situation will not change under your leadership – and you have therefore lost my confidence too.”

Mr Javid praises the Prime Minister for “seeing off the threat of Corbynism, and breaking the deadlock on Brexit,” but concludes that “the country needs a strong and principled Conservative Party.”

 

 

Mr Sunak said his decision to step down “while the world is suffering the economic consequences of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and other serious challenges” was not “taken lightly.”

He adds that “the public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously. I recognise this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning.”

Mr Sunak says he has “always tried to compromise in order to deliver the thing you [The Prime Minister] want to achieve,” adding that “we both want a low-tax, high-growth economy, and world class public services, but this can only be responsibly delivered if we are prepared to work hard, make sacrifices and take difficult decisions.”

He concludes: “I firmly believe the public are ready to hear that truth. Our people know that if something is too good to be true then it’s not true. They need to know that whilst there is a path to a better future, it is not an easy one. 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.”

Responding, Mr Johnson said he was “sorry” to receive their resignation letters.

Mr Sunak has been succeeded by former Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi as Chancellor of the Exchequer, whilst Mr Javid has been succeeded as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care by Steve Barclay, former Brexit Secretary.