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RESIGN BORIS! 41 ministers leave as the Government goes into meltdown

Pushed before he jumped, Michael Gove has left the Government, following the resignation of DLUHC colleague Stuart Andrew – and what of the other property-related MPs?

David Callaghan

mps parliament

Housing secretary Michael Gove, who is seen as a Boris Johnson loyalist, has been sacked by the Prime Minister, joining 40 other ministers to have left the Government in the last few days. Gove had reportedly told Johnson he needed to resign for the good of the Conservative Party.

It’s a clear indication that Boris Johnson is digging in despite the resignations of so many of his ministers, as the Government goes into meltdown. It’s looking increasingly like Johnson intends to call the bluff of the Conservative MPs who are threatening to change the rules of the 1922 Committee in order to oust him regardless. This could be as early as next week.

Michael Gove

Gove (pictured) hadn’t commented on the Cabinet departures of Chancellor Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid, or the appointment of their successors, but had appealed to the PM to resign.

Gove’s junior colleague Stuart Andrew, the latest housing minister to join the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, was one of a number of ministers who resigned on Wednesday afternoon.The MP for Pudsey in West Yorkshire was the first minister to resign from the department.

In his resignation letter, Andrew (pictured) said: “It is with sadness that I am resigning as Housing Minister.

“I pay tribute to all my ministerial colleagues, officials, and civil servants in the Department and the wider sector. I look forward to continuing to serve my constituents in Pudsey, Horsforth, and Aireborough.”

But his letter to the Prime Minister also admits that his loyalty to the party and Johnson had ‘overidden his judgement’ and that: “there comes a time when you have to look at your own personal integrity and that time is now”, he said.

“Therefore, given recent events, I have no other choice but to resign.”

Pincher

pincher first homesAndrew was the eighth resignation by an MP from the government. He joined a long tradition within the housing ministry, having only joined it as a minister in early February – so less than six months in post.

During his time at the DLUHC he took up the same role as previous incumbent Christopher Pincher, (pictured) the MP whose predatory sexual activity sparked the current political crisis.

The resignations were triggered by Number 10’s failure to come clean about whether the Prime Minister knew there were complaints about Pincher before appointing him as deputy chief whip.

Pincher resigned after admitting he had groped two men in a drunken episode at a private club. Since his resignation last week other complaints against him have come to light.

He was one of the longest serving housing ministers before being replaced by Andrew earlier this year.

Andrew’s colleague Eddie Hughes, the minister for housing and rough sleeping, has retweeted messages highlighting the choice of Nadhim Zahawi as the new Chancellor.

Hughes also retweeted a post by colleague Marie Caulfield ridiculing the BBC for asking if she plans to resign from her ministerial post.

He was heralded as a minister with a good knowledge of housing when he was appointed last year. He spent much of his career working in construction, having started his professional life as a civil engineer.

Kevin Hollinrake, former chairman and co-founder of Hunters, has remained silent so far on the crisis in government.

July 7, 2022

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