SOUTH PEMBROKESHIRE MP and Welsh Secretary Simon Hart has quit after Boris Johnson sacked Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove, despite most of his Cabinet and a growing number of Conservative MPs calling for him to resign himself.
In a shock move, the Prime Minister sacked the cabinet minister after he reportedly approached Johnson earlier today and encouraged him to resign. A Number 10 source told the BBC: “You can’t have a snake who is not with you on any of the big arguments who then gleefully tells the press the leader has to go.”
The sacking was followed, hours later, by the resignation of Welsh Secretary Simon Hart, who wrote “colleagues have done their utmost in public and private to help you turn the ship around, but it is with sadness I fear we have passed the point where this is possible.”
It comes after a Downing Street source told Herald.Wales that Johnson is “fighting on”, setting up a fresh confidence vote in his leadership – potentially as soon as next week.
The source said the PM believed Tory MPs faced a choice – either a Summer of “navel gazing & uncertainty” in a leadership contest, or he and Zahawi “conquering” the cost of living together. Ministerial appointments are expected tonight.
The Prime Minister is in the most perilous moment of his leadership. Nearly 40 Conservative MPs had quit their government roles at the time of writing, including Rishi Sunak has resigned as Chancellor and Sajid Javid who resigned as Health Secretary.
