The Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove who is one of Boris Johnson’s Cabinet has told the Prime Minister to resign. It was reported that Gove told Johnson to resign according to The Daily Mail and the Levelling Up Secretary’s spokesman did not dispute this. According to Sky News Gove is unhappy with the Prime Minister remaining at the helm.
Robert Jenrick also resigned today and wrote to Sir Graham Brady the chair of the 1922 Committee calling on Johnson to be removed from office.
Jenrick said, the government’s tax policy and a “failure to deliver essential reforms to our economy and public services, not least the abdication of responsibility to tackle the housing crisis for the benefit of future generations” contributed.
Jenrick added, “More fundamentally there has been a significant and I fear irretrievable loss of trust with the public, confirmed by the mishandling of serious allegations in recent days.
“If we continue along our present path we risk doing lasting damage to the reputation of the Conservative Party for competence and good government and more importantly, to the standing of politics generally.
“I can no longer, in all good conscience, support this.”
The executive of the 1922 Committee are to meet this afternoon in private to discuss potential rule changes and it is possible that the executive to see Johnson to give him the offer to resign instead of the rules of a no confidence vote being changed.
More than a fifth of the government has now quit and resignations are coming in thick and fast as Conservative MPs are saying that “trust, truth and integrity” is vital.
As of 2:20pm on Wednesday a total of 30 MPs had resigned and the government and the Conservative Party around the Prime Minister is in freefall and the resignations will continue to pile in long into the night.
After PMQs three parliamentary private secretaries (PPS) quit their jobs, this being David Johnston, Selaine Saxby and Claire Coutinho.
Saxby said, “Trust, truth and integrity are vital in our work as politicians and public servants, and I had hope that the reset earlier in the year might have given us the chance for a different direction, however, the events of this week have shown that not to be the case.
“Inaction is indeed action, and my silence is not compatible with my views or position, and it is with great regret that I have decided to resign as PPS.”
Johnston said, “I have today resigned as PPS to the Department for Education.
“As most of you will know, education is a great passion of mine and I very much enjoyed working with Nadhim Zahawi and the ministerial team, but I cannot defend what has taken place these past few days – or indeed these past few months.”
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