Two of Britain’s most senior Cabinet ministers have quit, a move that could spell the end of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s leadership after months of scandals.
Treasury chief Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid resigned within minutes of each other on Tuesday, according to NBC News Javid said, “I can no longer continue in good conscience.”
They announced their decisions shortly after Mr. Johnson apologized for having appointed a minister, Chris Pincher, who quit his job last week over accusations of inappropriate behavior.
Sunak said, “The public rightly expects the government to be conducted properly, competently, and seriously. I recognize this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning.”
Chris Pincher resigned as deputy chief whip Thursday amid complaints that he groped two men at a private club. Apparently, the resignations came after a former top British civil servant said Tuesday that Johnson’s office wasn’t telling the truth about sexual misconduct allegations.
The government’s stance on the allegations has continually shifted over the past five days, when on Monday, a spokesperson said Johnson knew of sexual misconduct allegations that were “either resolved or did not progress to a formal complaint.”
All this came about after ministers initially said Johnson was not aware of any allegations when he promoted Pincher to the post in February.
Johnson’s government is in a tenuous position
Prime Minister Johnson has found himself in the most perilous position of his three-year tenure as prime minister after a series of crises prompted his fellow lawmakers to hold a no-confidence vote against him last month.
But here’s the problem, reports the New York Times. While Johnson survived the no-confidence vote, he cannot face another vote for a year unless the party’s rules are changed.
This may sound good, but it could also mean that the only way to force Johnson to resign is for his cabinet members to submit their resignations. Although a number of senior ministers are known to be loyal to the prime minister, more resignations could mean that his government is collapsing.
However, Senior Conservative lawmaker Roger Gale, a long-standing critic of Johnson, said he would support a change of the rules of the Conservative 1922 Committee.
So far Mr. Johnson has refused calls for his resignation and, in a BBC interview on Tuesday, he appeared to believe that an apology would bring his restive lawmakers to heel.
