Cabinet reshuffle: Sajid Javid hits out at Boris Johnson's conditions after quitting as chancellor
Resignation letter says it is ‘important to have trusted teams that reflect the character and integrity you wish to be associated with’
Sajid Javid has taken a swipe at Boris Johnson after quitting as chancellor, saying “any self-respecting minister” would reject the conditions the prime minister was offering, as several senior heads rolled in a cabinet reshuffle.
Mr Javid, who had long had tensions with Mr Johnson’s closest adviser, Dominic Cummings, also suggested Mr Johnson was stripping the Treasury of its credibility.
In a bombshell less than a month before the budget, he chose to quit rather than sack his aides, as the prime minister had demanded. He is being replaced by Rishi Sunak, who has been an MP for only five years.
His resignation letter said it was “important as leaders to have trusted teams that reflect the character and integrity that you would wish to be associated with”.
Also in the reshuffle, Mr Johnson sacked Julian Smith as Northern Ireland secretary, Andrea Leadsom as business secretary, Esther McVey as housing minister, Theresa Villiers as environment secretary and Geoffrey Cox as attorney general.
Labour’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell claimed Mr Javid’s shock exit showed Mr Cummings had won “absolute control” of Downing Street and had left the government “in crisis”.
Please see below for what was our live coverage.
PM should sack Rees-Mogg, says Labour leadership candidate
The business secretary Andrea Leadsom and Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg have arrived at the House of Commons – where Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith is said to be meeting Boris Johnson.
Leadsom is widely expected to lose his job, but there has been little speculation about Rees-Mogg’s future in recent days. The Telegraph’s Camilla Tominey said Rees-Mogg “assures me he is just prepping for business questions”.
Labour leadership candidate Lisa Nandy has called on the PM to sack Rees-Mogg over his Grenfell comments (he suggested victims had lacked the “common sense” to flee the blazing building).
Tory MP mocks greasy pole climbers
Steve Baker, chair of the influential ERG group of Tory eurosceptics, is getting excited about the cabinet reshuffle. He’s tweeted video of a squirrel literally climbing a greasy pole – then slipping down it.
Theresa Villiers and Geoffrey Cox set to be axed
Theresa Villiers is another cabinet minister who has turned up early in the Commons. According to Sky News’ Joe Pike, she is meeting Boris Johnson there and informed she’s no longer wanted as environment secretary.
Attorney general Geoffrey Cox is also there – and is expected to get the chop too.
Julian Smith confirms he’s been sacked as NI secretary
The now former cabinet minister said: “Serving the people of Northern Ireland has been the biggest privilege. I am extremely grateful to Boris Johnson for giving me the chance to serve this amazing part of our country.”
Minister says he got ‘promotion’ to spend more time with family
Tory MP Chris Skidmore is also on his way out. The universities minister has left government, saying he would have “more time to spend” with his family.
Tweeting a picture of his new baby, he said: “Got a promotion in the reshuffle to be a better Dad with more time to spend with this gorgeous little one.”
Esther McVey heads for ‘ominous’ meeting with PM
It’s now housing minister Esther McVey’s turn to take the walk of doom to the prime minister’s office in the Commons. Is she – like Julian Smith, who did it earlier – also on the way out?
Smith sacking shows PM’s ‘indifference’ to NI, says SDLP
The sacking of Julian Smith shows Boris Johnson’s “dangerous indifference”, the leader of the nationalist SDLP party said.
Colum Eastwood wrote on Twitter: “Thank you Julian Smith for your tireless commitment to devolution, for the work you’ve done for victims of historical institutional abuse & for securing much needed resource for Derry.
“Sacking the most successful SoS in a decade shows Johnson’s dangerous indifference to us.”
Labour hopefuls say ‘sorry’ for election disaster
The Labour leadership candidates are answering voters’ questions during a live debate on the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme. Asked if they would like to say sorry for letting people who depended upon them down, they offered apologises.
Keir Starmer said: “I’m sorry for the result – of course I am.”
Emily Thornberry: “I apologise for the failure and I, frankly, wish we had not called an election in those circumstances.”
Rebecca Long-Bailey: “I am sorry because I know what this is going to do to people in my city and people around the country, and how much they’re going to suffer.”
Lisa Nandy: “I am sorry – I am sorry that we didn’t just not listen, but that we’re not learning.”
Labour leadership candidates on Victoria Derbyshire (BBC)
Ester McVey ‘relieved of duties’
The Tory MP has confirmed she has been sacked as housing minister after her meeting with Boris Johnson.
“I’m very sorry to be relieved of my duties as Housing Minister I wish my successor the very best & every success,” said McVey on Twitter.
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