Robin Walker resigns as school minister, saying he no longer has confidence in the prime minister’s leadership
Robin Walker has resigned as school minister, saying he no longer has confidence in Boris Johnson’s leadership.
Walker was Minister of State in the Department of Education. A prominent conservative of a nation, his father, Peter Walker, was a minister in Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet (though he was considered a “wet”). In his letter, Walker says he considered Johnson an “instinctive conservative of a nation,” but he thought the government was making too many mistakes.
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Conservative MP Robert Halfon says he is now in favor of the change of leadership, saying there has been a “real loss of integrity”.
Robert Halfon, Harlow’s Conservative MP and chairman of the Commons’ education committee, has issued a statement saying so far that he was opposed to a change of leadership, but that he has changed his mind in light of the scandal. of Chris Pincher and what not. 10 said.
“Not only has there been a real loss of integrity, but a failure of politics,” he says.
Boris Johnson will have to do a mini remodel soon. He has two ministers to replace the Department of Education (Robin Walker and Will Quince), and needs a new attorney general to replace Alex Chalk. (There are also several PPS and commercial envoys to replace, but there will be no rush to make these appointments.)
Johnson is due to testify before the Commons Liaison Committee this afternoon at 3 p.m. Most members of the committee are very critical of him, and perhaps he is wondering if he can be wasted, arguing that he should focus on remodeling?
Robin Walker resigns as school minister, saying he no longer has confidence in the prime minister’s leadership
Robin Walker has resigned as school minister, saying he no longer has confidence in Boris Johnson’s leadership.
Walker was Minister of State in the Department of Education. A prominent conservative of a nation, his father, Peter Walker, was a minister in Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet (though he was considered a “wet”). In his letter, Walker says he considered Johnson an “instinctive conservative of a nation,” but he thought the government was making too many mistakes.
Yesterday Andrew Murrison, the Conservative MP, resigned as a government envoy saying he thought Boris Johnson’s position was “unrecoverable”. In an interview this morning on Sky News, he said his decision to leave was a “long burn.” He was usually a “loyal archer,” he said. But he said he got to the point where he decided “enough is enough.”
Angela Rayner, the deputy leader of Labor, will be delighted to hear him use this phrase. “Enough is enough” is what he repeatedly said to the PMQs last week when he argued that the prime minister was leaving.
Murrison said the mood among Conservative MPs was “fever.” There was a feeling that this was “the beginning of the end,” he said, and he said he would be very surprised if there were no more resignations.
Photograph by Andrew Murrison: Sky News
Gavin Barwell, who was Theresa May’s chief of staff when she was prime minister, says Nadhim Zahawi is right to say divided parties do not win elections (see 8.19am), but wrong to think the party can unite beyond Boris Johnson.
He’s right, but there’s no chance the party will unite behind Johnson. We have almost certainly reached the point where most Conservative MPs – and, most importantly, voters – have lost confidence. The sooner your followers realize this, the better https://t.co/59nIJMfSXA
– Gavin Barwell (@GavinBarwell) July 6, 2022
Barwell seems to be right about conservative votes. Last night YouGov released a poll showing that, for the first time, more people who voted Conservative in 2019 want Boris Johnson to resign than to stay.
In interviews this morning, Nadhim Zahawi, the new chancellor, repeatedly suggested that Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s former head of communications, was somehow responsible for stirring up conservative opposition to Boris Johnson.
Nadhim Zahawi has a chance for Alastair Campbell.
“The people who ask us to divide and surround each other are people like Alastair Campbell, and wherever you are, you want to be on the opposite side of the discussion” #KayBurley #BBCBreakfast pic.twitter.com/ pyF0ldp5c9
– Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) July 6, 2022
Campbell, who now presents the excellent Rest is Politics podcast with former Conservative cabinet minister Rory Stewart, seems to appreciate his new position as the number one figure in the Labor Party’s hatred of Labor.
Hi @nadhimzahawi: I like to know that I am putting myself right under your skin. I have received many offers from the media asking me to respond to your grievances about me this morning. FYI I haven’t started yet !! That you can continue to prop up this lying thief who degrades it all 1/3
– ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) July 6, 2022
touch suggests that you are also getting too close to the dark side. And by the way, now you’re a chancellor, you should expect a much bigger scrutiny of your business history. Do you know what I mean? Check out @MichaelLCrick to get started 2/3
– ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) July 6, 2022
Ps, what did you really achieve in Education? Nothing … see you soon !! 3/3
– ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) July 6, 2022
Breaking News … I moved out of my home in north London. Now live free rent inside the head of the new Chancellor of the Treasury @nadhimzahawi
– ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) July 6, 2022
Updated at 09.22 BST
Sajid Javid did not answer questions when he left his home in south-west London this morning after resigning as health secretary last night. According to the Evening Standard, when he got into his car he told reporters, “Good morning, thank you for coming. It’s a pleasure to see you.”
Sajid Javid has left home this morning following his resignation yesterday as health secretary. Photo: Maja Smiejkowska / Reuters Broadcasters off Downing Street this morning. Photography: Frank Augstein / AP
Conservative newspapers have turned (mostly) against Boris Johnson this morning. Here is a summary.
If he can stay in office for three more days, Boris Johnson will have served more time as prime minister than Neville Chamberlain, according to Talk TV’s Tom Newton Dunn.
Boris Johnson must continue as prime minister for another 3 days to exceed the length of Neville Chamberlain’s service and 33 days to exceed that of Theresa May (he would love to do both, at least). Will he not either? Absolutely no one knows yet. pic.twitter.com/loPDcJXnVR
– Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) July 6, 2022
Updated at 08.57 BST
Will Quince resigns as minister, saying he “had no choice” after using false number 10 information in interviews
And Will Quince has resigned as Minister of Children and Families. Quince defended Boris Johnson in Monday’s interviews and says he has resigned because he used false information in those interviews he had given the number 10.
Fifteen said No. 10 had given him “categorical assurance” that Johnson was unaware of any “specific” allegations made against Pincher when he appointed him to the team’s deputy director position earlier this year. That was not true.
Will Quince gave a “categorical assurance” of No. 10 on Pincher’s allegations: video
Quince says in his resignation letter that he spoke with Johnson last night and that Johnson offered “a sincere apology.” But Quince says he has to resign anyway because he repeated what number 10 told him “in good faith.”
Indeed, he says he considers saying things that are false to the public as a matter of resignation, even though he was not to blame. There are many of his teammates who do not apply the same rule, and who have given false information to viewers from a briefing number 10 but have not given up.
In his letter Quince says:
Dear Prime Minister.
Thank you for meeting with me last night and for your sincere apology regarding the briefings I received from number 10 before Monday’s media round, which we now know are inaccurate.
It is with great sadness and regret that I feel that I have no choice but to submit my resignation as Minister of Children and Families, as I accepted and repeated these guarantees in good faith.
With much sadness and regret, this morning I submitted my resignation to the Prime Minister after accepting and repeating on Monday the guarantees to the media that have now been found inaccurate.
I wish my successor the best: it is the best job of the government. pic.twitter.com/65EOmHd47p
– Will Quince MP 🇬🇧 (@willquince) July 6, 2022
Updated at 09.38 BST
Laura Trott resigns as PPS in the transport department, saying confidence in politics is “of utmost importance”
Laura Trott has just resigned as PPS (private parliamentary secretary). He posted it on his Facebook page.
I want to inform you all, that I have resigned from my role as Parliamentary Private Secretary, in the Department of Transport. Confidence in politics is – and always should be – of the utmost importance, but unfortunately in recent months this has been lost. Thank you to everyone who wrote to me expressing your opinion. I read them carefully and took them into account as part of my decision. I have, and always will, put the residents of Sevenoaks and Swanley at the forefront and center of my work in Westminster.
Updated at 08.48 BST
Q: On inflation, there is an argument that tax cuts cannot be allowed when inflation is an issue because that will fuel inflation. This is what Rishi Sunak thought. But there is another argument that taxes need to be lowered, because they will drive growth. Is that why you were named?
Zahawi says it is not correct. He says he was appointed because he would be guided by evidence. It will rebuild the economy and promote growth.
Now Zahawi has gone on to talk about the vaccine delivery program, saying that attention to data, evidence and transparency made it a success. That’s what he will do with politics in general, he says.
Robinson says the data …