In another blow to the embattled prime minister, Will Quince tendered his resignation after falsely claiming the prime minister was unaware of “specific” allegations against the former chief whip. In a statement on Wednesday, the education minister said: “It is with great sadness and regret that I tendered my resignation to the Prime Minister this morning, having also received repeated assurances on Monday in the media, which have now been found to be inaccurate. “I wish my successor well – it’s the best job in government.” Another minister at the Department for Education (DfE), Robin Walker, also announced their resignations on Wednesday, saying the government has been “shadowed by mistakes and questions about integrity”. Their decisions to stand down come as Johnson faces a fight for his political survival following the disastrous resignations of chancellor Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid. Speaking on Tuesday – moments before the high-profile resignations – the prime minister apologized for appointing Mr Pincher as deputy leader in February 2022, saying it was “a mistake”. It emerged earlier in the day that Mr Johnson had been told of allegations about Mr Pincher in 2019 while serving as a minister at the Foreign Office – despite No 10’s earlier insistence to the contrary. But his official spokesman denied the prime minister had “lied” and rather insisted Johnson did not “immediately remember” being told about the complaint when fresh allegations emerged last week. On Monday, Mr Quince, the education secretary, defended the prime minister and told broadcasters he had been given a “categorical assurance” that Mr Johnson was “not aware of specific allegations”. Will Quince’s resignation letter on Wednesday morning (PA) Mr Quince’s resignation on Wednesday also coincided with one of Nadhim Zahawi’s first interviews as chancellor on BBC Radio 4’s Today program after he was appointed to succeed Mr Sunak last night. The new chancellor said he was “sad” to see Mr Quince leave the government, saying: “All I would say to colleagues is that people should not vote for divisive groups.” “We make decisions at warp speed, we don’t always get them right. The prime minister came out last night and said I was wrong and I’m sorry,” he added. “And I’m equally sad to see colleagues leave the government and I want to come together and deliver for the country.”
