By Tony O’Reilly-
Solicitor general Alex Chalk QC MP has resigned from Boris Johnson’s government, saying he could no longer ‘defend the indefensible’. His departure was also joined by that of Justice minister, Victoria Atkins, treasure minister, John Glen, and health minister, Jo Churchill.
Ex-Freshfields and Simpson Thacher man Bim Afolami MP quit as Conservative Party vice-chair live on TV last nigh. Justice Secretary and former Linklaters lawyer Dominic Raab and Attorney General Suella Braverman are staying on.
The wave of resignations in the Conservative party piles pressure on prime minister Boris Johnson, who so far has put up a strong resilient front to hold on to his post as prime minister, as rebel mps fight desperately to oust him from office.
Chalk(pictured) said in his resignation letter that the cumulative effect of the Owen Paterson affair, partygate and handling of the resignation of the former deputy chief whip Chris Pincher had caused public confidence in Downing Street to uphold standards of candour to have ‘irretrievably broken down’.
He said: ‘I am saddened to leave a role which I have enjoyed and, I hope, contributed positively. But the prime minister needs a solicitor general who can defend the culture and course set on his watch. I regret I no longer can.’
In a letter to Boris Johnson, Mr Chalk said it was “with great sadness” he was quitting the post but added he could not “defend the indefensible”.
He wrote: “To be in government is to accept the duty to argue for difficult or even unpopular policy positions where that serves the broader national interest. But it cannot extend to defending the indefensible.
“The cumulative effect of the Owen Paterson debacle, Partygate and now the handling of the former Deputy Chief Whip’s resignation, is that public confidence in the ability of Number 10 to uphold the standards of candour expected of a British Government has irretrievably broken down. I regret that I share that judgement.
“This comes at a moment of intense challenge for our country, when trust in government can rarely have been more important. I’m afraid the time has therefore come for fresh leadership.”
Chalk’s resignation came only hours after Nadhim Zahawi was named the new Chancellor, Downing Street has confirmed.
He will move from the post of education secretary, to be replaced by Universities Minister Michelle Donelan.
Boris Johnson has responded to Rishi Sunak’s departure as chancellor, saying he was “sorry” to have received Mr Sunak’s resignation letter and praising his “outstanding service”.
The Cheltenham MP has been in the role since last September, after serving 18 months as a justice minister. His letter followed those of chancellor Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid, whose resignations on Tuesday evening left Boris Johnson’s position in peril.
Sir Bob Neill, chair of the justice select committee, said Chalk had been an ‘exceptional’ solicitor general who had ‘acted honorably’.
Justice minister Victoria Atkins’s resignation from her role, signals her view that a sense of justice has been lost in government.
Atkins, a former criminal barrister, said in her resignation letter that she has “watched with growing concern” as values of “integrity, decency, respect and professionalism” have “fractured” under Johnson’s leadership.
Victoria Atkins Image:Parliament.co.uk
Atkins, who was elected as MP for Louth & Horncastle in 2015, said: “I can no longer pirouette around our fractured values. We can and must be better than this.”
Atkins oversaw the passing of the Domestic Abuse Act through parliament and helped implement reforms in the criminal justice system through the Rape Review and the Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls strategy.
“It is with sadness that I step away but I must look to the future for my constituents and the party,” she added.