A day after British prime minister Boris Johnson acknowledged that he had to change his story on the way he handled allegations of sexual misconduct by a senior member of his government, Britain’s finance minister and health minister resigned within minutes of each other.
The Prime Minister is accused of shielding a lawmaker and promoting him while actively ignoring the truth about the misconduct of the lawmaker made available to him. Mr. Johnson is accused of failing to come clean about a lawmaker who was appointed to a senior position despite claims of sexual misconduct.
The resignations of two of the most senior members of the cabinet could spell the doom for the leadership of Boris Johnson who became prime minister of the United Kingdom in July 2019 in the wake of the Brexit referendum. Incidentally, both the resigning politicians, Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid have origins in the Indian Subcontinent. While Sunak hails from India, Sajid Javid is from Pakistan.
“It has been an enormous privilege to serve in this role, but I regret that I can no longer continue in good conscience,” Sunak said in his statement. Mr. Sunak also said, “the public rightly expects the government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously.”
Claiming a high moral ground Sunak, the son-in-law of one of the wealthiest Indians, the Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy said “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.”
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Rishi Sunak who once was tipped to be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was shrouded in controversy when the news of his wife was found taking advantage of the tax benefits which were legally admissible but morally not so, being the wife of the Finance Minister.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid’s resignation letter read : “It is with enormous regret that I must tell you that I can no longer, in good conscience, continue serving in this government,” “I am instinctively a team player but the British people also rightly expect integrity from their government.” he added.
Chris Pincher, who resigned as deputy chief whip Thursday amid complaints of sexual miscounduct should have been fired from the government after a previous 2019 incident, the PM reckoned. “I think it was a mistake and I apologize for it. In hindsight it was the wrong thing to do.”
