LONDON ( Associated Press) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government faced a new crisis on Tuesday after two of his most senior cabinet ministers resigned within minutes of each other.
Treasury chief Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid stepped down, saying the government under Johnson was no longer competent or was “acting in the national interest.”
The apparently coordinated exit came after Johnson was hit by allegations that he had lied about how he handled sexual misconduct claims by a lawmaker appointed to a senior position.
Both Javid and Sunak are key members of the cabinet and are both seen as potential successors to Johnson, making their positions dangerous.
Who are Sunak and Javid at a glance:
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RISHI SUNAK, TREASURY CHIEF
In his resignation letter, Sunak told Johnson, “It has become clear to me that our perspectives are fundamentally very different.”
“The public rightly expects that the government will operate properly, competently and seriously. I agree that this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and so I Resigning,” he wrote.
Sunak, until recently, was widely regarded as the brightest rising star of the party, the most famous of the potential leadership contenders – and a favorite of speculators to succeed Johnson.
Sunak, 42, was thrust into the limelight when he became Treasury chief in 2020, tasked with the incredible job of propelling the economy through the worst economic downturn on record due to the pandemic. He spent billions of pounds in emergency spending to help businesses and workers, and his policies have been seen in a generally positive light.
But “Partygate” changed his fortunes. Like Johnson, he was issued a police fine for attending a birthday party in Downing Street in June 2020. He has also been heavily criticized for being slow to respond to Britain’s dire cost-of-life crisis.
Sunak also faced pressure following revelations that his wife Akshata Murthy avoided paying UK taxes on her foreign income, and the former investment banker forfeited her US green card while serving in the government. .
Born to Indian parents who emigrated from East Africa to the UK, Sunak attended the exclusive Winchester College private school and attended Oxford.
Some see his elite education and previous work for investment bank Goldman Sachs and a hedge fund as losses because he is out of touch with the general electorate.
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Sajid Javid, Health Secretary
In his statement, Javid said that he “can no longer, in good conscience, continue to serve in this government.”
Javid, 52, has been health secretary since June 2021, leading Britain’s COVID-19 response.
Previously, he served as Treasury chief, but resigned in early 2020 following a confrontation with Johnson over orders to sack his team of advisers.
The fact that Johnson brought him back into government to handle the coronavirus response shows his reputation for competence.
Javid, a father of four children, was first elected in 2010 and has served in various positions in the government, including serving as Home Secretary and in key departments of business, culture and housing.
He ran in the 2019 Conservative leadership election, but was eliminated in the fourth round and lost to Johnson.
The son of Pakistani immigrants, Javid has billed himself as a layman’s substitute for his privately school-educated rivals – although he had a lucrative career in investment banking before entering politics.
