Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has resigned from his position in the government.
In a Tweet to his followers the Conservative Cabinet Member said: "The public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously.
"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."
Rishi Sunak has resigned from his position in the Cabinet
Yui Mok
His resignation follows that of Sajid Javid who resigned moments before following the Chris Pincher row, which has embroiled the Prime Minister.
In his letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Sunak acknowledged his decision to step down from his position amidst a cost of living crisis and the war in Ukraine, stating "it was a decision that I have not taken lightly".
Commenting on the recent row over the misconduct of Former Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher, the Former Chancellor said "the public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously".
Mr Sunak noted his differing attitude to the Prime Minister in recent times, stating: "We both want a low-tax, high-growth economy, and world class public services, but this can only be responsibly delivered if we are prepared to work hard, make sacrifices and take difficult decisions."
Concluding his statement the Former Chancellor of the Exchequer said: "I firmly believe the public are ready to hear that truth.
"Our people know that if something is too good to be true then it's not true.
"They need to know that whilst there is a path to a better future, it is not an easy one.
"In preparation for our proposed joint speech on the economy next week, it has become clear to me that our approaches are fundamentally different.
"I am sad to be leaving Government but I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that we cannot continue like this".
The resignation announcement follows a speech from the Prime Minister, who admitted it was a "mistake" to appoint Chris Pincher to his government.
Mr Pincher quit as deputy chief whip last week following claims that he groped two men at a private members’ club, but Mr Johnson was told about allegations against him as far back as 2019.
The Prime Minister acknowledged he should have sacked Mr Pincher when he was told about the claims against him when he was a Foreign Office minister in 2019, but instead Mr Johnson went on to appoint him to other government roles.
Known ally of the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who is viewed as a potential leadership candidate, said she was "100 percent behind the PM".
Former Conservative Chief Whip Mark Harper, a consistent critic of Boris Johnson in recent months, tweeted: “Tonight we have seen leadership from (Rishi Sunak) and (Sajid Javid).
“Honourable decisions made by honourable men. The Conservative Party still has so much to offer to our country. It’s time for a fresh start.”
A source close to Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, who has also been tipped as a potential successor to Mr Johnson, said: "The Defence Secretary is not resigning".
