Culture Secretary Sajid Javid shares his family's anguish at the news Zayn Malik has left 1D

His heartfelt tweet came ahead of video footage that emerged of Harry Styles crying on stage

Sajid Javid, MP for Bromsgrove, is to become the new Culture Secretary after Maria Miller's resignation (PA)

Are the Tories really canvasing for the Directioners’ votes?

Or was Sajid Javid as upset by the news that Zayn Malik had left the band as Harry Styles was on Wednesday?

The Culture Secretary, who beat Malik into third place when he topped the Asian power list in November 2014, tweeted his response to the earth shattering news that the 20-year-old singer had officially left the world’s biggest boyband:

Of course, he wasn't the only politician to note the staggering pop revelation. Former deputy PM John Prescott threw his hat into the ring not only to replace Malik, but also Clarkson:

His heartfelt tweet came ahead of video footage that emerged of Harry Styles crying on stage in Jakarta, Indonesia.

An official statement from the band read: “We're really sad to see Zayn go, but we totally respect his decision and send him all our love for the future. The past five years have been beyond amazing, we've gone through so much together, so we will always be friends.

“The four of us will now continue. We're looking forward to recording the new album and seeing all the fans on the next stage of the world tour.”

Zayn declared that he had left the band because he wanted to be a “normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight”.

“My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined,” he said. “But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band. I'd like to apologise to the fans if I've let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart.”