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Rishi Sunak resigns from UK Cabinet with ‘deep sadness’ in blow to UK PM Johnson

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London, Jul 5 (PTI) Rishi Sunak, the senior-most British Indian ever to hold the high office of UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, on Tuesday ended his ministerial run with “deep sadness” after declaring that he can no longer continue in the post under the leadership of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The 42-year-old UK-born Conservative Party member of Parliament was candid in his resignation letter, which he posted on Twitter minutes after his boss went on air to admit his mistake in knowingly hiring now-suspended MP, Chris Pincher, with a dubious reputation to an important government post. The resignation marks a devastating blow to Boris Johnson’s leadership.

“It is with deep sadness that I am writing to you to resign from the government,” Sunak’s letter starts.

“To leave ministerial office is a serious matter at any time. For me to step down as Chancellor while the world is suffering the economic consequences of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and other serious challenges is a decision that I have not taken lightly. However, the public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously. I recognise this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning,” he writes.

Sunak goes on to point out how he’s been loyal to Johnson, hinting at his unflinching support throughout the partygate scandal and other disagreements over economic policy in recent months.

However, the wording of his letter makes clear that as one of the most senior ministers in the Johnson government, he has not had an easy ride with his boss as he reveals having to “compromise” on a number of occasions.

“On those occasions where I disagreed with you privately, I have supported you publicly. That is the nature of the collective government upon which our system relies and it is particularly important that the Prime Minister and Chancellor remain united in hard times such as those we are experiencing today,” said Sunak, the son-in-law of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy.

“I firmly believe the public are ready to hear that truth. Our people know that if something is too good to be true then it’s not true. They need to know that whilst there is a path to a better future, it is not an easy one. 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,” he added.

Sunak’s reference to this being his “last ministerial job” could be taken as an indication of his plans to move away from government altogether over time, something that has been speculated in the UK media ever since the tax affairs of his Indian wife, Akshata Murty, were attacked.

Sunak was seen as a close ally of Johnson as his neighbour on Downing Street, with both families also said to have been close. But as the pressure over Johnson’s leadership has grown in the wake of the partygate scandal of COVID law-breaching parties within government offices, there were some signs of tension.

Johnson will feel Sunak’s exit quite dearly as it exposes the first cracks within his Cabinet, which has thus far stood by the Prime Minister. Besides Sunak, fellow Cabinet minister – Pakistani-origin Sajid Javid – also stepped down as UK Health Secretary with some harsh words in his resignation letter.

Javid declared that he could “no longer, in good conscience, continue serving in this government”.

“The tone you set as a leader, and the values you represent, reflect on your colleagues, your party and ultimately the country,” he said.

Another senior Indian-origin minister, Home Secretary Priti Patel, has said she has no plans to follow her other South Asian origin colleagues out of Cabinet. Besides, Justice Secretary Dominic Raab, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, and International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan have also expressed their support for Johnson. PTI AK SCY SCY

This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

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