As the dawn arrived this morning, the prime minister was still defying his party and clinging on to power, despite a wave of resignations and a very public power struggle with Michael Gove.
The delivery boy for the PM’s flagship levelling up policy, Gove was unceremoniously sacked by phone last night after telling reporters that he had advised Boris Johnson to quit.
The sudden sacking means that the government is currently without a levelling up secretary or a housing minister. Stuart Andrew became the shortest-serving housing minister in history when he resigned earlier yesterday after five months in the office. Following other resignations, the levelling up department has just three ministers remaining – two members of the House of Lords and a sole MP.
Number 10 briefed that Gove had been sacked for disloyalty, but Gove’s allies claim that this was all a smoke-screen to distract attention from a much wider revolt.
A Number 10 source told reporters: “You cannot have a snake who is not with you on any of the big arguments who then gleefully briefs the press that he has called for the leader to go. You cannot operate like that.”
However, Gove’s people said Number 10 had been briefing against the secretary of state for months.
So far, a quarter of the government’s payroll, 48 ministers and aides, resigned over two days following the resignations of health secretary Sajid Javid and chancellor Rishi Sunak.
The new chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi, has already said he favours early tax cuts for both businesses and individuals.
Johnson is expected to fill the vacant spaces at the cabinet table later today, but he is running out of allies to appoint to some vital posts, levelling up secretary being perhaps the most crucial.
To send feedback, e-mail piers.wehner@eg.co.uk or tweet @PiersWehner or @EGPropertyNews
