UK: PM Boris Johnson Names New Health Secretary, Finance Minister After Javid, Sunak Quit

UK Cabinet chief of staff Steve Barclay has taken over as as the new health secretary while UK education secretary Nadhim Zahawi has become the new finance minister

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson with Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid

Source : Getty

In a move to save premiership after Cabinet resignations, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday went ahead and named new UK Health Secretary and Finance Minister, reported news agency ANI, citing local media reports. UK Cabinet chief of staff Steve Barclay has taken over as as the new health secretary while UK education secretary Nadhim Zahawi has become the new finance minister.

Finance minister Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid resigned on Tuesday. In his resignation letter, the Indian-origin British politician from the Conservative party said he was "sad to be leaving the government", but has come to the conclusion that he "cannot continue like this".

"The public rightly expect the 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," added Sunak.

The minister said that many lawmakers and the public had lost confidence in Johnson's ability to govern in the national interest. While Javid in his resignation letter posted in Twitter told Johnson that "the values you represent reflect on your colleagues," and in light of recent scandals, the public had concluded that their party was neither "competent" nor "acting in the national interest."

The sudden resignation comes amid the row involving the former Conservative party whip Chris Pincher, who was accused of sexual misconduct. Pincher had quit as deputy chief whip after accusations that he groped two men but Johnson was aware of these allegations against him as far back as 2019.

Johnson on Tuesday apologised for his mistake of not realising that former whip Chris Pincher was not suitable for a job in government after complaints of sexual misconduct were made against him.

"In hindsight, it was the wrong thing to do. I apologise to everyone who's been badly affected by it," Johnson told broadcasters, reported Reuters.

He also acknowledged that he should have sacked Pincher when he was found to have behaved inappropriately when he was a Foreign Office minister in 2019. The British PM said he regrets giving Pincher a government role as Deputy Chief Whip following the revelation of a misconduct complaint against him.

"I just want to make absolutely clear that there's no place in this government for anybody who is predatory or abuses their position of power," he added.