Sajid Javid: Health secretary resigns amid Chris Pincher scandal

Javid said he can no longer 'continue in good conscience'

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has resigned in the wake of the Chris Pincher scandal. Writing on Twitter he said: "I have spoken to the Prime Minister to tender my resignation as Secretary of State for Health & Social Care. "It has been an enormous privilege to serve in this role, but I regret that I can no longer continue in good conscience." Javid's resignation was followed by that of Chancellor Rishi Sunak. https://twitter.com/sajidjavid/status/1544366218789937152 Sunak said on Twitter that the public "rightly expect the government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously". He acknowledged that "this may be my last ministerial job" but said he believes "these standards are worth fighting for and this why I am resigning". https://twitter.com/RishiSunak/status/1544368323625947137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1544368323625947137%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.joe.co.uk%2Fnews%2Frishi-sunak-has-resigned-as-chancellor-of-the-exchequer-346299 Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the prime minister confirmed that Boris Johnson was briefed on a complaint relating to Chris Pincher in 2019, after previously denying he had any knowledge of misconduct. Up until now, Number 10 had maintained that Johnson was not aware of any comprising information about Pincher. It comes after an extraordinary intervention was made on Tuesday morning by the former permanent secretary in the Foreign Office who claimed senior government officials may have lied. In a public letter, the former civil servant said Johnson was told "in person" about Pincher's alleged wrongdoing in 2019. Related Links

• Rishi Sunak has resigned as Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Boris Johnson told 'in person' of Chris Pincher allegations in 2019, senior civil servant claims
• Chris Pincher: There is no current investigation into alleged groper, PM's spokesperson says
• Sir Keir Starmer categorically rules out rejoining the European Union