Boris Johnson Announces Replacements For Rishi Sunak, Sajid Javid Post Their Dramatic Quit

Amid the fresh political crisis in the UK due to the resignation of key cabinet members, Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid, Nadhim Zahawi has been appointed as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s new chancellor and Steve Barclay has been named as UK health secretary. Earlier, Sunak dramatically quit the role of British Chancellor and announced it on Twitter. He was followed by Javid who said citizens “expect integrity from their government”.

The latest resignations from Johnson’s cabinet came amid questions surrounding the British PM’s handling of the row with Chris Pincher, who resigned last week from the post of deputy chief whip. Reports and claims had emerged that Pincher ‘groped’ two men at a private members’ club and Johnson was made aware of the allegations against the minister in 2019. 

In the wake of the controversy related to Pincher amid the Partygate row, Johnson admitted that he should have removed Pincher when he was found to behave inappropriately. In 2019, Pincher was the foreign office minister. However, the British PM’s apology couldn’t stop Sunak and Javid from resigning which took place within a minute of each other. Javid had also said that voters now believed Johnson’s government was neither competent nor “acting in the national interest”. 

Saying that he was putting resignation with “great sadness”, Sunak also noted, “the public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously. I recognise this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning.”

Sunak’s replacement in Johnson’s cabinet, Zahawi moved from the post of education secretary to the chancellor. The job of education secretary is handed over to former universities minister Michelle Donelan. Steve Barclay, who will handle Javid’s former role of health secretary, was previously the Duchy of Lancaster and chief of staff for Downing Street.

Boris Johnson’s political position remains perilous, especially after the twin resignations of both prominent members of the cabinet. However, others such as Dominic Raab, Liz Truss, Michael Gove, Therese Coffey and Ben Wallace indicated they would be staying in the government and supporting Johnson, reported Sky News. It should be mentioned here that the UK PM has suffered a serious blow in the run up to the latest resignations. Conservatives lost in by-elections in Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield in June which triggered the resignation of party chairman Oliver Dowden. Even Dowden was touting Johnson stepping down. Remarkably, the positions of Conservative Party chairman and vice party chairman are still pending to fill. 

Image: AP