Share

British finance minister quits in reshuffle upset

British Finance Minister Sajid Javid resigned on Thursday, in a shock move that deals a blow to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government just weeks after Brexit and a month before the annual budget.

The chancellor of the exchequer stood down after Johnson tried to use a reorganisation of his cabinet to get rid of some of Javid's aides, a source close to the departing minister said.

He was immediately replaced by senior Treasury official Rishi Sunak.

Javid's departure is a major upset at a turbulent time for Britain, just weeks after leaving the European Union on January 31, a process that has left the country with an uncertain future.

Johnson was on Thursday carrying out a cabinet reshuffle, his first since winning a comfortable parliamentary majority in the December general election.

Javid, a former City of London banker born into a working class Muslim family, was considered safe in his job despite reports of tensions between him and Johnson's senior aide, Dominic Cummings.

But rumours began to circulate after his meeting with the prime minister went on longer than expected.

"He has turned down the job of chancellor of the exchequer," a source close to Javid said.

"The prime minister said he had to fire all his special advisers and replace them with Number 10 special advisers to make it one team.

"The chancellor said no self-respecting minister would accept those terms."

Belfast minister out 

Earlier, Johnson sacked his Northern Ireland minister despite his role in restoring devolved government to Belfast after a three-year suspension last month.

Julian Smith had helped end the political vacuum in Northern Ireland by persuading the two main parties to return to a power-sharing government last month.

The British province had no government since Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) fell out in January 2017 over a renewable energy scandal.

Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar led tributes to Smith's efforts, saying he was "one of Britain's finest politicians of our time".

But The Times newspaper said Johnson felt "blindsided" by the deal because it includes an investigation into alleged crimes by British soldiers during decades of sectarian violence known as The Troubles.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, who was also closely involved in the power-sharing talks, said that without Smith's leadership there would be no government in Belfast.

"You have been such an effective secretary of state for Northern Ireland at a time of real challenge and risk," he wrote on Twitter.

Arlene Foster, who as DUP leader was restored as first minister of Northern Ireland under the deal, also hailed his "dedication to the role".

Smith said it had been "the biggest privilege", adding that he was "extremely grateful" to Johnson for giving him the chance to serve.

Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom, Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers and Attorney General Geoffrey Cox were also shown the door.

But Foreign Minister Dominic Raab and Michael Gove, Johnson's de factor deputy, are staying.

Johnson held off from carrying out a cabinet reshuffle immediately after his December victory, choosing to wait until Britain left the EU.

After years of political turmoil over Brexit, he wants to focus this year on domestic issues, including investments in police, healthcare and infrastructure.

Johnson also named former aid minister Alok Sharma as the new minister in charge of the COP 26 UN climate summit, which is being held in Glasgow in November.

The former president, Claire O'Neill, was sacked last month. She responded with a blistering attack on his leadership, and warned that planning for the summit was "way off track".

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 584 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 824 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.88
+0.3%
Rand - Pound
23.86
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
20.38
+0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE