Boris Johnson is clinging to his job tonight after two of his most senior Cabinet members resigned. The scandal-hit Prime Minister was rocked by the shock departures of both Chancellor Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid.
The duo chose to announce their resignations just minutes after Johnson had completed an interview in which he apologised over his handling of the Chris Pincher row after it emerged he had forgotten about being told of previous allegations of “inappropriate” conduct.
Pincher quit as deputy chief whip last week following claims that he groped two men at a private members’ club - but Johnson was told about allegations against him as far back as 2019.
Reacting to the resignations, Keir Starmer said: "After all the sleaze, the scandals and the failure, it’s clear that this Government is now collapsing. Tory cabinet ministers have known all along who this Prime Minister is."
The Labour leader added: "They have been his cheerleaders throughout this sorry saga. In doing so, they have been complicit every step of the way as he has disgraced his office and let down his country. If they had a shred of integrity they would have gone months ago."
One Tory MP tonight predicted more Cabinet ministers could soon quit. Andrew Bridgen said: "I guess they (Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid) finally got where much of the party got weeks if not months ago, that we just can’t carry on like this. What a shambles. It has been a shambles.”
When asked what he thinks prompted Javid and Sunak to resign, Birdgen said: “The Pincher situation and the Prime Minister shown to have been lying again.”
But Scottish Secretary Alistair Jack announced he would remain in the Cabinet.
He said: "I fully support the Prime Minister. I am sorry to see good colleagues resign, but we have a big job of work to do, and that’s what we’re getting on with."
Announcing his resignation on Twitter, Sunak said: "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."
It came just minutes after Javid said: "It is clear to me that this situation will not change under your leadership – and you have therefore lost my confidence too".
The Prime Minister’s authority had already been damaged by a confidence vote which saw 41% of his own MPs withdraw their support.
The loss of crunch by-elections in Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield in June triggered the resignation of party chairman Oliver Dowden, while there is still lingering anger over coronavirus lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street.
The twin resignations of Javid and Sunak mean Johnson’s position is now perilous, but Cabinet ministers including Dominic Raab, Liz Truss, Michael Gove, Therese Coffey and Ben Wallace indicated they would be staying in the Government.
The Prime Minister had earlier acknowledged he should have sacked Pincher when he was told about the claims against him when he was a Foreign Office minister in 2019, but instead Johnson went on to appoint him to other government roles.
Asked if that was an error, Johnson told broadcasters: “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. I want to make absolutely clear that there’s no place in this Government for anybody who is predatory or who abuses their position of power."
Speaking to reporters in his Commons office he did not deny joking: “Pincher by name, Pincher by nature.”
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