2 Top Ministers Quit As Boris Johnson Fights For Survival Live Updates

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson was fighting for his political survival on Tuesday when two senior ministers in his Conservative government unexpectedly resigned from their cabinet posts in a concerted move against their leader. Rishi Sunak, the chancellor of the exchequer, and Sajid Javid, the health secretary, resigned over the latest scandal to raise questions about Mr Johnson’s judgment and honesty. They announced their decisions shortly after Mr Johnson apologized for appointing a minister, Chris Pincher, who resigned last week amid allegations of misconduct. The resignations put Mr Johnson in the most dangerous position of his three-year tenure as prime minister, after a series of crises forced him to survive a no-confidence vote last month. Last month, Mr Johnson narrowly survived a vote of confidence by his own MPs and, unless party rules are changed, he cannot face another contest for a year. This means cabinet resignations could be the only effective method of pressuring Mr Johnson to resign. “The public rightly expects the government to behave properly, competently and seriously,” Mr Sunak said in a statement. “I recognize that this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth striving for and that is why I am stepping down.” Mr Pincher resigned as deputy chief whip last week after admitting he was drunk at a private members’ club in London where he allegedly touched two men inappropriately. He has been suspended from the Conservative Party while the allegations are investigated but has not resigned as an MP. On Tuesday, Downing Street admitted that Mr Johnson had been told of previous allegations against Mr Pincher in 2019 — something Mr Johnson’s office had initially denied. The outcry over the circumstances of Mr Pincher’s appointment – and Downing Street’s account of it – is just the latest in a series of scandals surrounding Mr Johnson. Earlier this year, he was fined by police for breaching his own lockdown rules at Downing Street, during which members of his staff were found to have held several alcohol-fueled parties. In his resignation statement, Mr Javid said he “can no longer, in good conscience, continue to serve in this government”. The public, he added, expects “the government to behave properly, competently and seriously”. The reaction of fellow Tory MPs in the moments after the resignations signaled a serious threat to Mr Johnson’s leadership. “I voted against Boris Johnson in the recent confidence vote and earlier today reiterated my concerns,” Laurence Robertson, a veteran Conservative MP, wrote on Twitter. “The resignations of cabinet ministers show that others agree that the issues of recent months have distracted from the challenges facing the country. The prime minister must now resign.” Mark Harper, a Conservative MP who had already called on Mr Johnson to step aside, praised the two cabinet ministers for their leadership. These were “honorable decisions made by honorable men,” Mr. Harper, a former leader, said in a post on Twitter. “The Conservative Party still has so much to offer our country. It’s time for a new beginning,” he added. The resignation of two such senior ministers is unprecedented in recent years and echoes the drama that led to Margaret Thatcher’s ouster as prime minister in 1990. The anger of some of his lawmakers at Mr Johnson’s behavior was evident earlier in parliament when a minister, Michael Ellis, explained that — contrary to Downing Street’s earlier explanation — the prime minister had been informed in 2019 of allegations against of Mr. Pincher, but I had forgotten. William Rugg, a Tory MP, said the official account of what happened “seems to change with the times” and that the government appears to have “lost a sense of direction”. Opposition MPs laughed when Mr Ellis insisted the Prime Minister had acted “with integrity at all times”. Speaking to the BBC later, Mr Johnson admitted it was a “wrong” to force Mr Pincher’s deputy leader to be flogged over allegations of his behaviour. “In hindsight it is the wrong thing to do and I apologize to everyone who has been badly affected by this,” he added. —Stephen Castle and Megan Specia

title: “2 Top Ministers Quit As Boris Johnson Fights For Survival Live Updates " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-04” author: “Derek Robinson”

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson was fighting for his political survival on Tuesday when two senior ministers in his Conservative government unexpectedly resigned from their cabinet posts in a concerted move against their leader. Rishi Sunak, the chancellor of the exchequer, and Sajid Javid, the health secretary, resigned over the latest scandal to raise questions about Mr Johnson’s judgment and honesty. They announced their decisions shortly after Mr Johnson apologized for appointing a minister, Chris Pincher, who resigned last week amid allegations of misconduct. The resignations put Mr Johnson in the most dangerous position of his three-year tenure as prime minister, after a series of crises forced him to survive a no-confidence vote last month. Last month, Mr Johnson narrowly survived a vote of confidence by his own MPs and, unless party rules are changed, he cannot face another contest for a year. This means cabinet resignations could be the only effective method of pressuring Mr Johnson to resign. “The public rightly expects the government to behave properly, competently and seriously,” Mr Sunak said in a statement. “I recognize that this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth striving for and that is why I am stepping down.” Mr Pincher resigned as deputy chief whip last week after admitting he was drunk at a private members’ club in London where he allegedly touched two men inappropriately. He has been suspended from the Conservative Party while the allegations are investigated but has not resigned as an MP. On Tuesday, Downing Street admitted that Mr Johnson had been told of previous allegations against Mr Pincher in 2019 — something Mr Johnson’s office had initially denied. The outcry over the circumstances of Mr Pincher’s appointment – and Downing Street’s account of it – is just the latest in a series of scandals surrounding Mr Johnson. Earlier this year, he was fined by police for breaching his own lockdown rules at Downing Street, during which members of his staff were found to have held several alcohol-fueled parties. In his resignation statement, Mr Javid said he “can no longer, in good conscience, continue to serve in this government”. The public, he added, expects “the government to behave properly, competently and seriously”. The reaction of fellow Tory MPs in the moments after the resignations signaled a serious threat to Mr Johnson’s leadership. “I voted against Boris Johnson in the recent confidence vote and earlier today reiterated my concerns,” Laurence Robertson, a veteran Conservative MP, wrote on Twitter. “The resignations of cabinet ministers show that others agree that the issues of recent months have distracted from the challenges facing the country. The prime minister must now resign.” Mark Harper, a Conservative MP who had already called on Mr Johnson to step aside, praised the two cabinet ministers for their leadership. These were “honorable decisions made by honorable men,” Mr. Harper, a former leader, said in a post on Twitter. “The Conservative Party still has so much to offer our country. It’s time for a new beginning,” he added. The resignation of two such senior ministers is unprecedented in recent years and echoes the drama that led to Margaret Thatcher’s ouster as prime minister in 1990. The anger of some of his lawmakers at Mr Johnson’s behavior was evident earlier in parliament when a minister, Michael Ellis, explained that — contrary to Downing Street’s earlier explanation — the prime minister had been informed in 2019 of allegations against of Mr. Pincher, but I had forgotten. William Rugg, a Tory MP, said the official account of what happened “seems to change with the times” and that the government appears to have “lost a sense of direction”. Opposition MPs laughed when Mr Ellis insisted the Prime Minister had acted “with integrity at all times”. Speaking to the BBC later, Mr Johnson admitted it was a “wrong” to force Mr Pincher’s deputy leader to be flogged over allegations of his behaviour. “In hindsight it is the wrong thing to do and I apologize to everyone who has been badly affected by this,” he added. —Stephen Castle and Megan Specia