There have been more resignations from the government this evening as four Conservative parliamentary private secretaries quit their roles.
Ministerial aides Jonathan Gullis, Saqib Bhatti, Nicola Richards and Virginia Crosbie have all 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, so his resignation has been seen by many as a sign that the tide is now against Mr Johnson.
Hours later Ms Richards published her scathing resignation letter accusing the government of ‘poor judgement that I don’t wish to be associated with’, while Ms Crosbie said she ‘cannot continue to defend’ Mr Johnson’s actions.
Former parliamentary private secretary to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Mr Gullis said he was resigning ‘with a heavy heart’.
In a letter to the prime minister, he said: ‘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 Bhatti said that the ‘events of the past few months have undermined public trust in all of us’.
He said he had been ‘grappling with these issues for some time and my conscience will not allow me to continue to support this administration’.
Virginia Crosbie quit her role as parliamentary private secretary at the Welsh Office, stating she ‘cannot continue to defend’ the Prime Minister’s actions.
Posting her resignation on Facebook, the Ynys Mon MP wrote: ‘I am forced to say that the sheer number of allegations of impropriety and illegality -many of them centred around Downing St and your premiership- is simply making your position untenable.
‘I am of the view that if you continue in office you risk irrevocably harming this government and the Conservative party and will hand the keys of Downing Street to the Labour Party unfit to govern.
‘The inaccurate and contradictory statements over what you knew about the former Deputy Chief Whip’s conduct before you appointed him was the last straw. I cannot continue to defend your actions to my Ynys Mon constituents who are rightly very angry.
‘I have no idea what is happening at Downing Street but it appears you are either badly advised or unable to change or reform the dysfunctional operation at the centre of the government you lead.’
Conservative MP Nicola Richards also quit her role as parliamentary private secretary to the Department for Transport this evening, stating she cannot serve ‘under the current circumstances’.
Posting her resignation on Twitter, the West Bromwich East MP wrote: ‘At a time where my constituents are worried about the cost of living and I am doing my best to support them, I cannot bring myself to serve as a PPS under the current circumstances, where the focus is skewed by poor judgement that I don’t wish to be associated with.
‘I am loyal to my constituents and will always put them first.
‘I am also loyal to the Conservative Party, of which is currently unrecognisable to me. I believe something must change.’
In Mr Sunak’s resignation letter, the Chancellor 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.
A Downing Street spokesperson declined to discuss allegations levelled at the Prime Minister by Dominic Cummings.
The former top No 10 adviser had claimed Mr Johnson had referred to the former deputy chief whip as ‘Pincher by name, pincher by nature’ long before appointing him in February.
‘I’ve seen those unsubstantiated source quotes and I don’t intend to respond to them,’ the spokesperson responded.
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