Two MPs quit government PPS roles amid leadership crisis
Gullis #Gullis
There have been two more resignations from the government this evening as two parliamentary private secretaries quit their roles.
Ministerial aides Jonathan Gullis and Saqib Bhatti have both now resigned, following a turbulent day for Boris Johnson after two key cabinet members quit.
Mr Gullis was seen as ultra-loyal to the prime minister after coming in as an MP in 2019 from a former Red Wall seat.
The former parliamentary private secretary to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland said in his resignation letter that the Conservative Party has been ‘more focused on dealing with our reputational damage rather than delivering for the people of this country’.
He said he was resigning ‘with a heavy heart’, saying: ‘I have been a member of the Conservative Party my entire adult life, a party I believe represents opportunity for all.
‘I feel for too long we have been more focused on dealing with our reputational damage rather than delivering for the people of this country and spreading opportunity for all, which is why I came into politics.
‘It is for this reason I can no longer to serve as part of your government.
‘I will continue to focus on standing up for the people of Stoke-on-Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke, protecting and preserving our heritage, creating new high skilled and high wage jobs locally and making sure people have access to the very best healthcare and education this country has to offer.’
It come after Rishi Sunak quit as chancellor and Sajid Javid resigned as health secretary this evening.
Mr Sunak said ‘the public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously’, adding: ‘I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning.’
In an incendiary letter published minutes earlier, Mr Javid said the British people ‘expect integrity from their government’ but voters now believed Mr Johnson’s administration was neither competent nor ‘acting in the national interest’.
The resignations came as Mr Johnson was forced into a humiliating apology over his handling of the Chris Pincher row after it emerged he had forgotten about being told of previous allegations of ‘inappropriate’ conduct.
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