The leadership of the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, was Tuesday threatened, as two of his top ministers resigned over the ongoing scandal.
In separate letters posted on Twitter on Tuesday night, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid quit their positions.
Sunak wrote, “The public rightly expects 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.
“In preparation for our proposed joint speech on the economy next week, it has become clear to me that our approaches are fundamentally too different. I am sad to be leaving the government but I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that we cannot continue like this.”
On his part, Javid wrote that “It has been an enormous privilege to serve in this role, but I regret that I can no longer continue in good conscience”.
Furthermore, the former minister said that the vote of confidence in Johnson last month leads him in a new direction.
“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 added.
The most immediate controversy facing Johnson is Downing Street’s handling of last week’s resignation of Deputy Chief Whip, Chris Pincher. He stepped down from his post last Thursday amid allegations he had groped two guests at a private dinner the night before.