Two of Britain’s most senior cabinet ministers resigned on Tuesday, a move that could spell the end of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s leadership after months of scandal. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid resigned within minutes of each other after a day in which the prime minister was forced to admit he had to change his story on how he handled sex allegations harassment by a senior member of his government. “It is with great regret that I must tell you that I can no longer, in good conscience, continue to serve in this government,” Javid said in his resignation letter. “I am instinctively a team player, but the British people also rightly expect integrity from their government.” Sunak said that “the public rightly expects the government to behave properly, competently and seriously. “ “I recognize that this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am stepping down,” he added. Both Sunak and Javid have been seen as potential leadership contenders within the Conservative Party if Johnson is forced out. Their departures were a huge blow to the prime minister because both were responsible for two of the biggest issues facing Britain at the moment – the cost of living crisis and the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The latest scandal brought Johnson allegations that he failed to clear a lawmaker who was appointed to a senior position despite allegations of sexual misconduct. Johnson faced pressure to explain what he knew about earlier allegations of misconduct against lawmaker Chris Pincher, who resigned as deputy leader Thursday amid allegations he molested two men at a private club. Minutes before Javid and Sunak’s resignations were announced, Johnson told reporters that Pincher should have been fired by the government following an earlier incident in 2019. Asked if it was a mistake to appoint Pincher to the government, Johnson said “I think it was a mistake and I apologize for that. In retrospect it was the mistake he made.” “I apologize to everyone who has been greatly affected by this. I want to make it absolutely clear that there is no place in this administration for anyone who is predatory or who abuses their position of power,” Johnson said. The government’s explanation has changed repeatedly over the past five days. Ministers initially said Johnson was unaware of any allegations when he promoted Pincher to the post in February. On Monday, a spokesman said Johnson was aware of allegations of sexual harassment that “were either resolved or did not proceed to a formal complaint.” That account didn’t sit well with Simon McDonald, the most senior civil servant at the UK Foreign Office from 2015 to 2020. In a highly unusual move, he said on Tuesday that the prime minister’s office was still not telling the truth. McDonald said in a letter to the parliamentary standards commissioner that he received complaints about Pincher’s behavior in the summer of 2019, shortly after Pincher became foreign secretary. An investigation upheld the complaint and Pincher apologized for his actions, McDonald said. McDonald disputed that Johnson was unaware of the allegations or that the complaints were dismissed because they had been resolved or not made official. “Original line No. 10 is not true and the amendment is not yet accurate,” McDonald wrote, referring to the prime minister’s Downing Street office. “Sir. Johnson was personally informed of the initiation and outcome of the investigation. Hours after McDonald’s comments were made public, Johnson’s office changed its story again, saying the prime minister had forgotten he had been told Pincher was the subject of a formal complaint. The latest revelations have sparked discontent in Johnson’s cabinet after ministers were forced to publicly spell out the prime minister’s denials, only for the explanation to change the next day. The Times of London published an analysis of the situation on Tuesday under the headline “Allegation of lie endangers Boris Johnson”. Johnson’s power had already been shaken by a no-confidence vote last month. He survived, but 41 per cent of Conservatives voted to remove him from office. The prime minister’s shifting responses to months of allegations about parties breaking the lockdown in government offices that eventually led to 126 fines, including one levied against Johnson, fueled concerns about his leadership. Two weeks later, Conservative candidates were badly defeated in two special elections to fill parliamentary vacancies, increasing discontent in Johnson’s party. When Pincher stepped down last week as deputy leader, a post key to enforcing party discipline, he told the prime minister he had “drank too much” the night before and had “embarrassed myself and other people”. Johnson initially refused to suspend Pincher from the Conservative Party, but relented after a formal complaint about the whining allegations was lodged with parliamentary authorities. Critics suggested that Johnson was slow to react because he did not want to be in a position to force Pincher to resign his seat in parliament and set the Conservatives up for another potential special election defeat. Even before the Pincher scandal, suggestions were swirling that Johnson might soon face another no-confidence vote. In the coming weeks, Conservative lawmakers will elect new members to the committee that sets parliamentary rules for the party. Several candidates have suggested they would support changing the rules to allow a new vote of no confidence. Current rules require 12 months between these votes. Senior Conservative lawmaker Roger Gale, a longtime critic of Johnson, said he would support a change to the 1922 Conservative Committee rules. “Sir. Johnson has for three days sent ministers – in one case a cabinet minister – to defend the indefensible, basically to lie on his behalf. This cannot go on,” Gale told the BBC. This prime minister has destroyed a proud and honorable party’s reputation for honesty and decency, and that is not acceptable.” The Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
