Sajid Javid delivers brutal resignation speech in Commons
Sajid Javid delivers his resignation speech in the Commons – the speech is bruising and delivers stinging criticism of his boss. The former Health Secretary quit his role late last night, followed just under 10 minutes later by Chancellor Rishi Sunak. Since then, there has been a flurry of resignation and Tories withdrawing their support for the prime minister. Now, more than ever, it appears the PM will face a second confidence vote.
At 3 pm today the prime minister will face a second grilling from MPs as he is set to appear at the Liaison Committee after PMQs.
More resignations rolling in for the PM
PMQs – Sajid Javid delivers resignation speech
Sajid Javid went on to reiterate that “treading the tightrope between loyalty and integrity has become impossible in recent months.”
He said: “I will never risk losing my integrity.”
The former health secretary said he believes a team is “as good as its team captain, and that a captain is as good as his or her team.”
“Loyalty must go both ways,” Mr Javid said. “The events of recent months have made it increasingly difficult to be in that team.
“It’s not fair on ministerial colleagues to go about every morning defending lines that don’t stand up and don’t hold up.
“It’s not fair on my parliamentary colleagues who bare the brunt of constituents’ dismay in their inbox and on their doorsteps in recent elections.
“And it’s not fair on Conservative members and voters who rightly expect better standards from the party they supported.”
‘I was told there was no parties’
Mr Javid said he was assured “at the most senior level” that “there had been no parties in Downing Street and that no rules were broken” at the start of the scandal.
“So I gave the benefit of doubt and I went on those media rounds to say I had those assurances from the most senior level of the prime minister’s team,” he said.
“Then we had more stories, then we had the Sue Gray report. I continued to give the benefit of the doubt.
“This week again we have reason to question the truth and integrity of what we have all been told, and at some point we have to conclude that enough is enough.
“I believe that point is now.”
Read Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid resignation letters in full – and the PM’s response
‘One of the toughest roles’
Mr Javid added that he fears the reset button can only work “so many times”, saying: “There’s only so many times you can turn that machine off an on before you realise that something is fundamentally wrong.”
Continuing his statement, Sajid Javid said his time as health secretary has “undoubtedly also been one of the toughest roles that I have had so far”.
He added: “The gravity of home office decisions, the scale of treasury decisions, but nothing matters more than the health of the British people, especially in the wake of a pandemic.”
Mr Javid then took a moment to pay tribute to those working in the NHS.
“There is so much that I planned for the long term,” he said. “For the long term reform of our health and care systems, and it is a wrench to leave important work behind.
“When I last gave a personal statement from this seat I spoke about the importance of institutions and conventions.
“Today, it is about the importance of integrity.
“Don’t worry, there’s not going to be a series of these.”
He said these are both “central pillars” that underpin “our great democracy”.
Mr Javid went on to say he believes all MPs are “motivated by the national interest”, adding: “The public expects all of us to maintain honesty and maintain integrity.”
He said this is not an “abstract matter,” adding: “We must bring the country together as one nation.”