British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, center, Finance Chancellor Rishi Sunak, right, and Health Secretary Sajid Javid during a visit to New Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Welwyn Garden City, England, in April . Credit … Photo of Frank Augstein’s pool
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was fighting for his political survival on Tuesday when two senior ministers in his Conservative government unexpectedly resigned from their posts in the cabinet in what appeared to be a coordinated move against their leader.
Rishi Sunak, the chancellor of the Treasury, and Sajid Javid, the health secretary, resigned from the latest scandal to raise questions about the trial and honesty of Mr. Johnson. They announced their decisions shortly after Mr. Johnson apologized for appointing a minister, Chris Pincher, who left his job last week on charges of misconduct.
The resignations led Mr Johnson to the most dangerous position of his three-year term as prime minister, following a series of crises that forced him to survive a vote of censure last month.
Last month, Mr. Johnson narrowly survived a vote of confidence among his own lawmakers and, unless the party rules are changed, he cannot face another contest for a year. This means that cabinet resignations could be the only effective method of pressuring Mr. Johnson to resign.
“The public rightly expects the government to conduct itself properly, competently and seriously,” Mr. Sunak in a statement. “I recognize that this may be my last ministerial job, but I think it’s worth fighting for these rules and that’s why I will resign.”
Mr. Pincher resigned as deputy director last week after admitting to being drunk at a private club in London where he is said to have played two men inappropriately. He was suspended from the Conservative Party while the allegations are being investigated but has not resigned as MP.
On Tuesday, Downing Street admitted that Mr. Johnson had been informed of previous allegations against Mr. Pincher in 2019, which Mr. Johnson had initially denied it.
The outcry over the circumstances of Mr. Pincher’s appointment — and Downing Street’s account of it — is only the latest in a series of scandals surrounding Mr. Johnson. Earlier this year, police fined him for violating his own blocking rules on Downing Street, in which members of his staff were found to have held several alcohol-fueled parties.
In his resignation statement, Mr. Javid said he “could no longer, in good conscience, continue to serve in this government.” The public, he added, expects “the government to be carried out properly, competently and seriously.”
Speaking to the BBC, Mr. Johnson admitted it was “a mistake” to convert Mr. Pincher in no charge due to complaints about his conduct. “In retrospect, it is wrong to do and I apologize to all those who have been greatly affected by this,” he added.
– Stephen Castle and Megan Specia