Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid were brutally candid. Here we read between the lines of their statements

Chancellor and health minister halted an outburst of… Boris Johnson on standards and competence tonight, but aides insisted it was not a coordinated putsch.

Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid announced they would resign within nine minutes of each other – just as the prime minister made a televised statement apologizing for the feud with Chris Pincher.

In a cheeky parting shot, Mr Javid said he had lost faith in the Prime Minister and suggested that the government was no longer “competent”.

Mr Sunak said he had “reluctantly concluded that we cannot go on like this” and that the government was expected to “be conducted well, competently and seriously”.

He also hinted at a split with the prime minister over economic policy, saying it “has become clear to me that our approaches are fundamentally too different.”

Mr Sunak’s letter of resignation came just nine minutes after Javid’s at 6:11 p.m. – but sources close to the couple insist their departure is not a joint coup.

Their resignation came less than a fortnight after Oliver Dowden stepped down as chairman of the Conservative Party after a double defeat in the election. A series of other less earthquake-prone resignations followed last night, including two private parliamentary secretaries.

Mr Javid had been a friend of the Prime Minister’s wife, Carrie Johnson, whom he employed as a special adviser when he was Secretary of the Communities.

But his resignation today marked the second time he had stepped down from Johnson’s government, after he resigned as chancellor in February 2020 over an order to fire his team of aides.

Mr Javid announced his resignation on Twitter at 6:02 p.m. after speaking with the Prime Minister. He said he could not continue as health minister “in good conscience” and suggested that the prime minister also step down.

In a scathing letter, Mr Javid wrote: ‘The tone you set as a leader and the values ​​you represent reflect your colleagues, your party and ultimately the country. Conservatives at their best are seen as stubborn decision-makers, guided by strong values. We may not have always been popular, but we have been skilled at acting in the national interest.

“Unfortunately, in the current circumstances, the public is concluding that we are not now either. Last month’s vote of confidence showed that many of our colleagues agree. It was a moment for humility, grip and new direction.

“I am sorry to say, however, that it is clear to me that this situation will not change under your leadership – and so you have lost my trust.”

While relations between No. 10 and No. 11 had become tense in recent months, Mr Sunak had assisted Mr Johnson on Partygate and they were due to deliver a speech on the economy this week.

That changed when the Chancellor stepped down. In his letter of resignation, Mr Sunak said: “It is a serious matter to leave the ministerial office at any time. The public rightly expects government to be properly, competently and seriously run. I recognize that this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that’s why I’m resigning.”

Tory Vice-Chairman Bim Afolami later retired on live TV, Andrew Murrison resigned as trade envoy to Morocco and ministerial aides Jonathan Gullis and Saqib Bhatti left their roles.

The prime minister reacted to Rishi Sunak’s departure, saying he was sorry he had been resigned and praising his “excellent service”. In a letter, the Prime Minister wrote: “I have greatly appreciated your advice and your great commitment to public service and will miss working with you in government.”

In a short letter, the prime minister told the former health minister: ‘Dear Saj, thank you for your letter tonight offering your resignation. I was very sorry to receive it.’ He said he had served “with distinction.”