In a truly shocking evening of headlines, both the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, and the Health Secretary Sajid Javid, have both resigned from Boris Johnson’s cabinet within minutes of each other, in what is being widely commentated as the end of Johnson’s premiership.
The smattering of minor resignations we have seen until now have had a comparatively negligible effect on the Prime Minister’s grip on power. The first ‘big one’ that sent ripples through Westminster was Oliver Dowden, Tory Party Co-Chair, who resigned following two crushing by-election defeats last month. But now, the loss of two of his most influential and respected confidants, who have backed his leadership since his first days in office, has sounded his political death knell.
Sunak and Javid’s resignation has triggered a waterfall of further resignations, including Bim Afolami, Tory Party Vice Chair, Saqib Bhatti, PPS at the Health Department, Andrew Murrison, Trade Envoy for Morocco, Nicola Richards, PPS at the Transport Department, Virginia Crosbie, PPS at the Wales Office, and Johnathan Gullis, PPS in the Northern Ireland Office and one of Johnson’s more outspoken supporters.
Until now, this particular house of cards has been losing pieces from near the top; causing minimal damage to the overall structure. The loss of Sunak and Javid has kicked off the rapid disintegration of the whole pack. It is entirely possible that even as I write this article, more names will be added to that list. In fact I am willing to put money on it.
The straw that broke the camel’s back, as it were, was Number 10’s handling of the scandal surrounding Chris Pincher, the now former Deputy Chief Whip, who resigned his position after drunkenly groping two men in a Tory Party gentleman’s club last Thursday.
Pincher, whose proclivity for unwanted sexual advances was the worst-kept secret in Westminster, was appointed to his position by Johnson against the advice of numerous aides and ministers close to the PM. Johnson himself has reportedly referred to him as “Pincher by name, pincher by nature.”
The official line from Downing Street was that Johnson was unaware of any ‘specific’ allegations against Pincher. This prompted an outpouring of protestations from aides and Westminster insiders, who knew that statement to be false, with some stating squarely that Number 10 was lying, including the former senior civil servant Lord McDonald.
Following this, Downing Street’s official line underwent numerous changes in an attempt to save what little face it had, but in the end, Johnson caved. He admitted that he had been briefed about Pincher’s behaviour, but conveniently forgot about that briefing before he appointed him.
Minutes after Johnson admitted his failure to keep sexual predators out of Government positions, the first resignation dropped. Sajid Javid stood down as Health Secretary, saying in his resignation letter that “the British people rightly expect integrity from their Government.”
Then, again mere minutes after Javid’s letter, Rishi Sunak also submitted his resignation, saying in his letter, “I am sad to be leaving Government but I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that we cannot continue like this.”
As I have been writing, the PM’s Chief of Staff Steven Barclay has been shoehorned into the position of Health Secretary, replacing Javid. Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, has been promoted to Sunak’s old position as Chancellor. He has himself been replaced by Minister of State for Higher and Further Education Michelle Donelan.
This situation is incredibly fast-moving, and I doubt I will be able to keep up with it all before the day’s events fully unravel (indeed, several edits have been made prior to this article’s publishing), but it has been nothing less than exhilarating. These resignations have been a long time coming, and in my opinion, are about six months too late at the very least.
Despite the excitement of this political roller-coaster, it does not overshadow the abject shame, disgrace, and immorality that oozes out of every pore of this rotten Government. I will not be satisfied until every single member of this rancid cabinet has resigned, and Johnson’s own political career is confined to where it belongs; the history books.
stay safe
/e