British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is fighting for his political survival after Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid abruptly resigned on Tuesday in the latest scandal to rock his administration.
Mr Sunak and Mr Javid sent resignation letters to Mr Johnson within minutes of each other, in which they both took aim at his ability to run an administration that stuck to standards.
Signaling his intention to stay in power as long as possible, Mr Johnson quickly appointed former businessman and current education minister Nadhim Zahawi as the new finance minister. Steve Barkley, appointed to impose discipline on Mr Johnson’s administration in February, has been moved to the health portfolio.
Mr Johnson will face questions in Parliament, followed by a grilling from senior MPs on Wednesday. He will appear in his weekly question session before later facing the chairmen of parliamentary committees for a planned two-hour cookout.
The resignations came as Mr Johnson apologized for appointing an MP to a role linked to offering pastoral care to his party, even after he was informed the politician had been the subject of complaints of sexual misconduct.
So far, they are the only two ministers in the prime minister’s senior cabinet to resign, with other senior figures expressing support for Mr Johnson. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, seen as a leading contender to replace him, said she was “100 per cent behind the prime minister”.
Four other lawmakers left junior government jobs, while a trade envoy stepped down and a Conservative Party vice-president resigned from his post on live television.
The resignations come after months of scandal and missteps, with Mr Johnson enduring criticism over a damning report about parties at his Downing Street residence and office that breached strict COVID-19 lockdowns and saw him fined by police.
There have been other policy reversals, an ill-fated defense of another lawmaker who broke lobbying rules, and he has also come under fire for not doing enough to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, with many Britons struggling to cope the increase in fuel and food prices.
Economists say the country is now headed for a sharp slowdown or possibly a recession. Both Mr Sunak and Mr Javid had previously publicly backed Mr Johnson but said in letters that enough was enough.
Mr Sunak, who is reported to have clashed with the prime minister in private over spending, said: “For me to step down as chancellor [of the Exchequer] while the world suffers from the economic consequences of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and other serious challenges is a decision I did not take lightly.”
“Society rightly expects the government to be run properly, competently and seriously,” he added. “I recognize that 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 won plaudits for a robust response to the economic shocks caused by the pandemic, but was badly damaged by revelations that his wife had avoided paying some taxes in Britain.
Mr Javid said many lawmakers and the public had lost confidence in Mr Johnson’s ability to govern in the national interest.
“It is clear to me that this situation will not change under your leadership – and therefore you have lost my trust as well,” his letter said.
The pound fell after Mr Sunak’s resignation, but economists said Mr Johnson’s removal could bring much-needed stability and offer a boost to the pound and markets in the medium term.
The resignations came just minutes after Mr Johnson went on television to apologize for appointing MP Christopher Pincher to a pastoral care role in the Conservative Party, his latest public expression of remorse for his mistakes.
“I apologize to everyone who has been badly affected by this,” Mr Johnson told the media. “I just want to make it clear that there is no place in this government for anyone who is a predator or who abuses their position of power.”
Mr Pincher’s resignation last Thursday sparked days of a shifting narrative from Downing Street about what the prime minister knew about the deputy chief whip’s behavior and when he knew it.
Earlier on Tuesday, after a former senior official accused Mr Johnson’s cabinet of lying, the prime minister’s spokesman was forced to quickly reverse course to say the British leader had been briefed “in some form” about the case , but he forgot about the last week.
For many in the ruling party, another accusation of lying and an explanation of memory loss only increased their frustration with Mr. Johnson’s administration, which some lawmakers say is paralyzed by having to deal with scandals.
Some conservative lawmakers are seeking to renew their bid to oust him just a month after the prime minister survived a confidence vote, while others earlier called on his cabinet ministers to oppose Mr Johnson.
“He’s done,” said one previously loyal Conservative MP, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “It shouldn’t prolong the agony.” It is disrespectful to his colleagues, his party and his country.
Another previously loyal MP agreed: “It’s all over. I’ll be surprised if it lasts until the summer now.”
But some party veterans said Mr. Johnson, who his closest aides say loves a fight, could stay and hope to reshuffle his administration again.
Opposition Labor leader Keir Starmer said those who supported Mr Johnson were complicit in how he carried out his job.
“After all the sloppiness, the scandals and the failure, it is clear that this government is now collapsing,” he said.
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