Blow to Boris Johnson as two Cabinet ministers resign due to scandals plaguing government

Two top U.K. Cabinet ministers have resigned from Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government, saying they are no longer able to serve a government so plagued by scandal.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak of the Exchequer and Sajid Javid, the secretary of State for Health and Social Care, each posted a letter of resignation to their respective Twitter accounts on Tuesday evening. 

"The public rightly expects government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously. I recognize this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning," Sunak wrote. "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 Government but I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that we cannot continue like this."

Javid wrote, "It has been an enormous privilege to serve in this role, but I regret that I can no longer continue in good conscience."

Javid added that the vote of confidence in the prime minister last month "was a moment for humility, grip and 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."

Last month, prime minister Johnson survived a vote of confidence brought on by increasing dissatisfaction with his leadership. Johnson has been afflicted by the scandal dubbed "partygate," which involved a number of social gatherings that took place at Downing Street during the most intense part of the U.K.'s COVID-19 lockdowns. 

More recently, Johnson's government's deputy chief whip, Chris Pincher, resigned following an embarrassing drunken performance at a private dinner last week. In a letter to Johnson, Pincher wrote, "last night I drank far too much" and "embarrassed myself and other people." Pincher allegedly groped two guests at the dinner.

Just prior to Sunak and Javid's resignation announcements, Johnson publicly acknowledged that it had been "a mistake" to appoint Pincher to his government.