Britain’s Chancellor Rishi Sunak (C) listens as Prime Minister Boris Johnson (L) addresses his Cabinet ahead of the weekly Cabinet meeting in Downing Street on June 07, 2022 in London, England.
Leon Neal | Getty Images
LONDON — British Chancellor Rishi Sunak resigned Tuesday, saying the government should be run “properly, competently and seriously.”
Health Secretary Sajid Javid also handed in his resignation in what appears to be a protest against Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s leadership.
The British pound hit a fresh March 2020 low after the announcement from Sunak. The currency was down 1.5% for the session, hitting 1.1923 against the dollar.
“The public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously,” Sunak wrote in a tweet Tuesday evening.
“I recognise this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning.”
It comes after a string of scandals that have plagued Johnson’s leadership over the last few months.
The prime minister narrowly survived a vote of confidence — triggered by his own lawmakers — last month. But dissatisfaction with his leadership, both within his own Conservative party and beyond, has continued.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated shortly.