Boris Johnson’s premiership ‘on the brink’ as Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid resign

Two of Boris Johnson’s most senior cabinet ministers have resigned this evening, piling pressure on the prime minister.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid handed in their letters of resignation in what The Times said was “almost certainly a fatal blow” to their leader.

Johnson’s “premiership is on the brink of collapse tonight” after the two ministers “turned on” the PM, the paper added.

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Coordinated move?

The pair “dramatically resigned” in “what appeared to be a coordinated move”, said The Guardian.

Last month’s vote of confidence “was a moment for humility, grip and new direction”, wrote Javid in his letter to Johnson. “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.”

Sunak’s letter came “minutes after”, said The Guardian. He wrote: “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.”

The chancellor said that he could no longer back Johnson and that it had become clear their approaches to the economy were “fundamentally too different”.

Bim Afolami, the Conservative Party vice-chair, later resigned from his position live on television.

Pincher affair

The resignations came after Johnson “was forced to apologise over his handling of the Chris Pincher row, as it emerged that he had forgotten about being told of previous allegations of ‘inappropriate’ conduct”, said Sky News.

The broadcaster has started a tally of ministers who have said they are not following Sunak and Javid out the door. The list of more than a dozen included Justice Secretary Dominic Raab, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

Jacob Rees-Mogg has also said Johnson “won a large mandate” in 2019 and “that should not be taken away from him” just because of today’s resignations.

In a BBC interview this evening, Johnson accepted that it was a “grave error” to appoint Pincher to the whip’s office. The PM has been under pressure to explain exactly what he knew when the MP for Tamworth was appointed in February.

The Daily Mail suggested that the “grovelling” interview “triggered” the “resignation plot”.