Bye Boris: NI Secretary Brandon Lewis, Treasury minister Helen Whately and Security minister Damian Hinds flee No 10
Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis has resigned around 7am from the Cabinet, telling the Prime Minister that Government requires “honesty, integrity and mutual respect”.
Minutes later, Treasury minister Helen Whately has resigned, telling Boris Johnson there “are only so many times you can apologise and move on”.
And only moments ago, Security minister Damian Hinds resigned, saying: “It shouldn’t take the resignation of dozens of colleagues, but for our country, and trust in our democracy, we must have a change of leadership.”
Boris Johnson’s attempts to battle for his job came under further pressure after more resignations and a leadership challenge from former ally Suella Braverman.
The Prime Minister rejected calls to quit on Wednesday and dramatically sacked Cabinet rival Michael Gove, but was later hit with the departure of a third Cabinet minister – Welsh Secretary Simon Hart – and further demands to go from the Attorney General.
Full list of government resignations
Here is a list of the 44 MPs who have resigned from the Government since Tuesday evening.
It is the equivalent of around a quarter of the total “payroll vote” in the House of Commons – the number of MPs who hold positions from which they would have to resign in order to oppose the Government.
The 44 comprises three Cabinet ministers, 16 ministers, 20 parliamentary private secretaries, four trade envoys and one vice-chair.
1. Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
2. Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer
3. Andrew Murrison, trade envoy to Morocco
4. Bim Afolami, Conservative Party vice-chairman
5. Saqib Bhatti, parliamentary private secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care
6. Jonathan Gullis, parliamentary private secretary at the Northern Ireland Office
7. Nicola Richards, parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Transport
8. Virginia Crosbie, parliamentary private secretary at the Welsh Office
9. Theo Clarke, trade envoy to Kenya
10. Alex Chalk, Solicitor General
11. Laura Trott, parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Transport
12. Will Quince, parliamentary under-secretary of state for children and families at the Department for Education
13. Robin Walker, minister of state for school standards at the Department for Education
14. Felicity Buchan, parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
15. John Glen, minister of state at the Treasury
16. Victoria Atkins, minister of state for prisons and probation at the Ministry of Justice
17. Jo Churchill, parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
18. Stuart Andrew, minister of state for housing at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities
19. Selaine Saxby, parliamentary private secretary at the Treasury
20. Claire Coutinho, parliamentary private secretary at the Treasury
21. David Johnston, parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Education
22. Kemi Badenoch, minister of state at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities
23. Julia Lopez, minister of state at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
24. Lee Rowley, parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
25. Neil O’Brien, parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities
26. Alex Burghart, parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Education
27. Mims Davies, parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Work & Pensions
28. Duncan Baker, parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities
29. Craig Williams, parliamentary private secretary at the Treasury
30. Mark Logan, parliamentary private secretary at the Northern Ireland Office
31. Rachel Maclean, parliamentary under-secretary of state for safeguarding at the Home Office
32. Mike Freer, parliamentary under-secretary of state for exports at the Department for International Trade
33. Mark Fletcher, parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
34. Sara Britcliffe, parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Education
35. Ruth Edwards, parliamentary private secretary at the Scottish Office
36. Peter Gibson, parliamentary private secretary at the Department for International Trade
37. David Duiguid, trade envoy for Angola and Zambia
38. James Sunderland, parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
39. Jacob Young, parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
40. James Daly, parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Work & Pensions
41. David Mundell, trade envoy for New Zealand
42. Danny Kruger, parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities
43. Simon Hart, Secretary of State for Wales
44. Edward Argar, minister of state at the Department of Health and Social Care