Rishi Sunak has been rocked by a double resignation with a mini cabinet reshuffle announced just hours later.
James Heappey has confirmed his resignation as armed forces minister and Robert Halfon has resigned as skills, apprenticeships and higher education minister.
Heappey, the Conservative MP for Wells, Somerset, earlier this month announced his intention to quit as an MP and to stand down as a minister before then.
Meanwhile, Halfon, MP for Harlow, in a letter to the Prime Minister wrote: "I feel that it is time for me to step down at the forthcoming General Election, and in doing so, to resign as a Minister in your Government."
James Heappey and Robert Halfon will be stepping down from Rishi Sunak's government
PA/WikiCommons
In the reshuffle, Nus Ghani MP was announced as a Minister of State (Minister for Europe) in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Leo Docherty MP was announced as a Minister of State (Minister for the Armed Forces) in the Ministry of Defence.
Also in the announcement, Kevin Hollinrake MP is to be a Minister of State in the Department for Business and Trade and Luke Hall MP is to be a Minister of State in the Department for Education.
Heappey wrote on social media: "I’ve loved every minute as MinAF in this incredible department. Our Armed Forces & MOD civil servants are the very best of us. Representing them in Parliament & around the world over last 4.5 years has been an amazing privilege.
"From the first COBR on COVID-19 to the most recent Ukraine Donor Contact Group last week in Ramstein via Kabul, Kyiv, Kosovo, Khartoum and the Southern Red Sea. It’s been an incredibly busy four and a half years."
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Minister of State for the Armed Forces James Heappey has resigned
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James Heappey’s resignation statement on social media continued: "Thanks also to the fantastic civil servants who work so hard across the Defence enterprise from our world-beating scientists to those who do the hard yards procuring the stuff our armed forces need to those who work on policy in the MOD itself.
"And finally thanks to the three PMs who’ve asked me to serve in this amazing role and to Ben Wallace, Grant Shapps, Nick Carter, Tony Radakin, Stephen Lovegrove, David Williams and my awesome Private Office team for putting up with me!"
Halfon has served in a series of senior roles since first being elected to Parliament in 1999.
In an open letter to the Prime Minister, he said: "After well over two decades as the Harlow Parliamentary Candidate and as MP, I feel that it is time for me to step down at the forthcoming general election, and in doing so, to resign as a minister in your Government."
Robert Halfon MP is stepping down
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During a 10-year career in the Rifles, Heappey served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Northern Ireland and Kenya.He had been tipped to succeed Ben Wallace as defence secretary following his resignation last year.
However, Sunak instead gave the Cabinet post to Grant Shapps, who has no military experience. In his letter to Halfon, Sunak told him he was "very sorry to hear" of his decision to step down from Government and to stand down at the next election.
Also in the reshuffle announcement, Alan Mak MP is to be a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State jointly in the Department for Business and Trade and the Cabinet Office.