UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government has plunged into a major crisis as Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid resigned from the Cabinet on Tuesday, saying they no longer have confidence in Boris Johnson to lead the country.
The resignations came even as Johnson was apologising for what he said was a mistake for not realising that a former minister in charge of pastoral care was unsuitable for a job in government after complaints of sexual misconduct were made against him, in the latest embarrassment to have engulfed his government.
The fresh crisis confronting Johnson comes merely weeks after he survived a no-confidence vote.
Rishi Sunak, in his letter, said he has come to the conclusion that "we cannot continue like this".
"The public rightly expects 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," Sunak said in his resignation letter.
Mr Javid said he had lost confidence in Johnson's ability to govern in the national interest after a series of scandals, saying he could "no longer continue in good conscience".
He said that many lawmakers and the public had lost confidence in Johnson's ability to govern in the national interest.
"I regret to say, however, that it is clear to me that this situation will not change under your leadership – and you have therefore lost my confidence too," Javid said in a letter to Mr Johnson.
Mr Johnson said he "bitterly regrets" giving Mr Pincher a government role as Deputy Chief Whip after being made aware of a misconduct complaint against him.
According to a BBC report, the PM is immune from a Conservative leadership challenge until June next year under party rules, after he won 59% of the vote.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he would welcome a snap election and the country needed a change of government.
"After all the sleaze, all the failure, it's clear that this Tory government is now collapsing," BBC quoted him as saying.
The next general election is expected to be held in 2024 but could be earlier if Mr Johnson used his powers to call one.
Mr Johnson's government has run into a series of controversies in recent months.
Discontent among Tory MPs has grown since a highly critical report into lockdown parties in and near Downing Street during the Covid-19 pandemic was published earlier this year.
The report exposed Covid rule-breaking in the PM’s residence at Number 10, including at a birthday party for which the PM was fined by the police, making him UK's first serving prime minister to be sanctioned for breaking the law.
