Boris Johnson was forced into a chaotic reshuffle on Tuesday night after potential leadership rivals Rishi Sunak quit as chancellor and Sajid Javid resigned as health secretary.
The prime minister faces the biggest leadership crisis of his premiership after his handling of the row over scandal-hit ex-deputy chief whip Chris Pincher also sparked a flurry of resignations by envoys and parliamentary aides.
In scathing remarks, Mr Javid said voters believed the government was neither competent nor “acting in the national interest”, while Mr Sunak said Britain deserved an administration that is run “properly, competently and seriously”.
Nadhim Zahawi was promoted to be the new chancellor, with universities minister Michelle Donelan stepping up to take his place as education secretary. Steve Barclay, the PM’s chief of staff, was given the role of health secretary.
Mr Zahawi made no comment when asked by press if he would “spray public money around to save Boris Johnson’s skin” before leaving Downing Street in a ministerial car.
According to reports, Mr Johnson had wanted Liz Truss as chancellor but Mr Zahawi forced his hand by threatening to join the rebellion and quit if he was not given the job at No 11.
Mr Barclay’s move to health comes only six months after he was appointed Downing Street chief of staff to help steady a premiership still floundering from the Partygate revelations.
Having struggled to move on from the scandal, the PM has been forced once again attempting a desperate reset, rocked by accusations from a former top Foreign Office official that No 10 lied about how much the PM knew about complaints against Mr Pincher.
Mr Johnson admitted he should have sacked Mr Pincher when he was told about misconduct claims against him in 2019, but instead went on to appoint him deputy chief whip. “I think it was a mistake and I apologise for it,” he told broadcasters.
But Mr Sunak and Mr Javid resigned soon after the PM’s comments. Bim Afolami then quit as Tory vice chair live on air – telling TalkTV that Mr Johnson no longer had his support and should now “step down”.
The prime minister was then hit by a series of resignations by parliamentary private secretaries, including the shock exit of one of his most loyal backbenchers.
Red wall Tory MP Jonathan Gullis – who has been a fierce defender of Mr Johnson – resigned as PPS to the Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis, saying the government had become distracted “dealing with our reputational damage”.
Tory MP Saqib Bhatti stepped down as PPS to outgoing health secretary Sajid Javid, saying the governement’s “integrity and trust” had been fatally undermined. Theo Clarke left as trade envoy to Kenya, while Andrew Murrison resigned as one of the PM’s Middle East envoys.
In the most scathing resignation, Virginia Crosbie quit as PPS to the Wales Office, telling the PM: “You cannot be trusted to tell the truth. This can never be a position to inhabit for anyone in public life, let alone prime minister.”
Dominic Raab, Liz Truss, Michael Gove, Priti Patel, Ben Wallace, Nadine Dorries and Therese Coffey were among the senior cabinet ministers standing by Mr Johnson on Tuesday night as the government appeared to implode.
Jacob Rees-Mogg backed Mr Johnson to remain PM, claiming that he is “a big man who is willing to apologise”. The Brexit opportunities minister claimed that it was “a wonderfully 18th century view” to think the PM had to resign because his ministers had quit.
Tory rebels urged Mr Johnson to quit – but also vowed to oust him in the weeks ahead by staging a fresh confidence vote if he does decide to cling on.
One backbencher opposed to the PM told The Independent: “The last few days have been appalling. I had been hoping some cabinet ministers would show some backbone. If he clings on, we will have to get rid of him.”
Veteran Tory MP Sir Roger Gale: “There comes a time when the game is up. I would like to think that even at this stage Boris Johnson is an honourable man, has to go and resign. If he doesn’t we’ll do it for him.”
Rebels hope that a majority of anti-Johnson MPs will be elected onto the 18-member 1922 committee during the powerful backbench groups elections next week.
Current committee rules mean the prime minister is safe from another no-confidence vote for another 12 months, after narrowly survived a ballot last month, but rebels are hoping to change the rules and allow a fresh contest.
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who is putting himself forward for the 1922 committee, said that he believed there would be “pro-rule change” committee after the imminent elections.
“Whatever the cabinet do, I think we’ll be changing the rules before summer recess to remove the prime minister [through] a second confidence vote,” he told Sky News.
Mr Bridgen added: “Any cabinet minister who doesn’t resign his position in the next 24-hours are ruling themselves out of any future leadership bids.”
