With news that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to resign today (July 7), the nation is now wondering who will take his place - and when. One of the potential candidates in the running to replace Boris is former health secretary Sajid Javid, who took over from Matt Hancock last year and who resigned just a day ago - if you're placing bets, his odds are currently said to be 8/1, while Ben Wallace and Liz Truss stand at 7/1, Rishi Sunak at 13/2 and Penny Mordaunt at 9/2.
In his resignation speech earlier this week, Mr Javid said: "At some point we have to conclude that enough is enough and that point is now. I do fear that the reset button can only work so many times." He also addressed those of his colleagues who hadn't yet resigned, saying "not doing something is an active decision".
Following his words - and the resignation of himself and Rishi Sunak, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, more than 50 MPs in Boris Johnson's government followed by handing in their resignations. And now, with Mr Johnson's imminent resignation, the country is looking at his potential successors in a new light - and wondering just what sort of Prime Minister will be next.
Read more: LIVE: Boris Johnson 'set to resign' with statement to nation 'before lunch'
One of the politicians potentially tipped for a leadership bid, Sajid Javid, grew up in Bristol and has spoken out in the past about his childhood here. Here's all you need to know about the home-grown politician and what he stands for:
Who is Sajid Javid?
Sajid Javid is the (now-former) health secretary, having taken over following Matt Hancock's resignation in June 2021. He has been the Tory MP for Bromsgrove in Worcestershire since 2010.
He was born in Rochdale in 1969, the son of two Pakistani immigrants. His dad was a bus conductor and driver, but when the family moved to Stapleton Road in Bristol, they ran a shop, above which they lived in a two-bedroom flat.
Javid attended Downend School and then Filton College, followed by the University of Exeter, where he studied economics and politics. He had been interested in economics from a young age, borrowing £500 to invest in shares at the age of just 14, when he also began reading the Financial Times.
Then, at university he got involved in politics, too, joining the Conservative Party.
Javid has previously described himself as a non-practising Muslim. Together with his wife Laura, he has four children. The family live in Chelsea and Fulham.
What he says about growing up in Bristol
Javid once addressed his childhood in Bristol when asked about whether safe drug consumption rooms, where people with drug addictions are allowed to take them under medical supervision, should be introduced.
He said: "I didn’t take any drugs [in my youth] and part of the reason is I grew up on a street in Bristol that became the centre of the local drugs trade. When I walked out of my door everyday – when I walked back from school or at the weekend to see family or friends – I saw the impact of drugs growing up.
"That’s what put me off drugs and I think that’s probably true of most of the population."
Javid had previously boasted that he had grown up on what “one tabloid dubbed Britain’s most dangerous street". He added: “It’s not so difficult to see how, instead of being in the cabinet, I could have actually turned out to have a life of crime myself.”
He used to live in New York
Before entering parliament, Javid worked in a number of roles in finance. For four years in the '90s he lived and worked in New York, becoming the youngest vice-president of Chase Manhattan bank. He was also an aide to the Republican politician Rudy Giuliani during this time and subsequently a director at Deutsche Bank.
In politics, Javid has held numerous ministerial roles, becoming a junior finance minister under David Cameron before a promotion to culture secretary in 2014. He has gone on to become, at various points, business secretary, housing secretary, home secretary, and chancellor, before resigning in 2020.
He also unsuccessfully stood in the Conservative party leadership election in 2019. The contest was ultimately won by Boris Johnson, while Javid came fourth.
Why he resigned as chancellor
Javid resigned as chancellor in February 2020 after seven months in the job. He tendered his resignation after Boris Johnson and his then senior advisor, Dominic Cummings, reportedly told Javid he must dismiss all his advisors and have them replaced by people hand-chosen by No 10. Rishi Sunak replaced Javid as chancellor of the exchequer.
Javid returned to the backbenches and also took up extra jobs as a senior fellow at Harvard university and as a senior advisor to JP Morgan Chase. He became Secretary of State for Health and Social Care from in June 2021 until stepping down this week.
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