List of departures from the second Johnson ministry

Prime Minister Boris Johnson chairs meetings of the Cabinet.

This is a list of resignations from the second government formed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Between forming a government on 13 December 2019 after the 2019 general election and his eventual resignation amid a government crisis, Johnson faced the resignation of 10 cabinet ministers (one of whom resigned on two separate occasions) and 3 ministers 'attending cabinet'. This list omits ministers who were invited to leave the government during the 2020, 2021, or 2022 cabinet reshuffles. It also excludes all ministers who resigned during the previous government formed by Johnson.

2020

Minister (Cabinet members shown in bold)		Office	Date of resignation	Reason
	Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP	Chancellor of the Exchequer	13 February	Refused to dismiss his advisers during the 2020 cabinet reshuffle. [1]
	Rt Hon Jake Berry MP	Minister of State for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth	13 February	Refused to accept a new position during the 2020 cabinet reshuffle. [2]
	Rt Hon Conor Burns MP	Minister of State for Trade Policy	4 May	Standards Committee found that he had used his position to intimidate a member of the public. [3]
	Douglas Ross MP	Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland	26 May	Discontented with Dominic Cummings' explanation for breaching the government's restrictions on travel during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. [4]
	Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP	Secretary of State for International Development	2 September	Department abolished. [5]
	Simon Clarke MP	Minister of State for Regional Growth and Local Government	8 September	Personal reasons. [6]
	The Lord Keen of Elie QC PC	Advocate General for Scotland	16 September	Concerns arising from the Internal Market Bill. [7]
	Chris Green MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Education	13 October	Opposed the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. [8]
	Caroline Ansell MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	22 October	Defied government whip on free school meals. [9]
	Rt Hon The Baroness Sugg CBE	Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Overseas Territories and Sustainable Development	25 November	Opposed the announcement of cuts to the overseas aid budget. [10]

2021

Minister (Cabinet members shown in bold)		Office	Date of resignation	Reason
	Kelly Tolhurst MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Rough Sleeping	16 January	Personal reasons. [11]
	Johnny Mercer MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence People and Veterans	20 April	Expressed frustration that the Overseas Operations Bill did not include legal protections for British soldiers that served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. It has been reported that Mercer was sacked by Johnson. [12]
	Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP	Secretary of State for Health and Social Care	26 June	Breaching social distancing guidelines after he was revealed to be having an affair with his aide and departmental Non-Executive Director Gina Coladangelo. [13]
	Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP	Minister of State for Security	7 July	Health reasons; surgery on a lung tumor. [14]
	Rt Hon The Lord Frost CMG PC	Minister of State for the Cabinet Office	18 December	Opposition to "COVID Plan B" and the political direction of the government. [15]

2022

Minister (Cabinet members shown in bold)		Office	Date of resignation	Reason
	Rt Hon The Lord Agnew of Oulton DL	Minister of State for Efficiency and Transformation	24 January	Unable to defend the government's track record on tackling fraud in Covid business schemes. [16]
	Angela Richardson MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities	31 January	Criticised Boris Johnson for his mishandling of the partygate affair. [17]
	Rt Hon The Lord Wolfson of Tredegar QC	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice	13 April	Accused Boris Johnson of undermining the rule of law, following his decision not to resign in response to criminal sanctions imposed on him by the Metropolitan Police. [18]
	Paul Holmes MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Home Office	27 May	Concerns around "toxic culture" at the heart of government following the publication of the Sue Gray report. [19]
	John Lamont MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office	6 June	Resigned in order to vote against Boris Johnson in a vote of confidence as leader of the Conservative Party. [20]
	Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP	Chairman of the Conservative Party Minister without Portfolio	24 June	Resigned over poor results at the Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield by-elections. [21]
	Rt Hon Chris Pincher MP	Government Deputy Chief Whip Treasurer of the Household	30 June	Reports that he drunkenly groped two men at the Carlton Club on 29 June. [22]
	Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP	Secretary of State for Health and Social Care	5 July	Main article: July 2022 United Kingdom government crisis An historic mass resignation (the largest number of ministerial resignations in a 24-hour period, more than tripling the previous record of 11 resignations, set in 1932 during the 2nd National Government), [23] following a statement by the Prime Minister, in which he confirmed that he had been aware of sexual misconduct allegations against Chris Pincher before appointing him to the government. [24] [lower-alpha 1] This contributed to the resignation of Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party and later Prime Minister, with him replaced by Liz Truss as party leader on 5 September and as Prime Minister the following day. [25]
	Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP	Chancellor of the Exchequer
	Saqib Bhatti MBE MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Health and Social Care
	Jonathan Gullis MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Northern Ireland Office
	Nicola Richards MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Transport
	Virginia Crosbie MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales
	Alex Chalk QC MP	Solicitor General for England and Wales
	Will Quince MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families	6 July
	Laura Trott MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Transport
	Robin Walker MP	Minister of State for School Standards
	John Glen MP	Economic Secretary to the Treasury
	Felicity Buchan MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	Victoria Atkins MP	Minister of State for Prisons and Probation
	Jo Churchill MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Agri-Innovation and Climate Adaption
	Stuart Andrew MP	Minister of State for Housing
	Selaine Saxby MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to HM Treasury
	David Johnston MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Education
	Claire Coutinho MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to HM Treasury
	Lee Rowley MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Industry
	Kemi Badenoch MP	Minister of State for Local Government, Faith and Communities Minister of State for Equalities
	Neil O'Brien MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, The Union and Constitution
	Alex Burghart MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Apprenticeships and Skills
	Julia Lopez MP	Minister of State for Media, Data, and Digital Infrastructure
	Mims Davies MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment
	Duncan Baker MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	Craig Williams MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to HM Treasury
	Mark Logan MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Northern Ireland Office
	Rachel Maclean MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding
	Mike Freer MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exports
	Mark Fletcher MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	Sara Britcliffe MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Education
	Ruth Edwards MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland
	Peter Gibson MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for International Trade
	James Sunderland MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	Jacob Young MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	Rt Hon Michael Gove MP [lower-alpha 1]	Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	James Daly MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Work and Pensions
	Danny Kruger MBE MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	Rt Hon Simon Hart MP	Secretary of State for Wales
	Edward Argar MP	Minister of State for Health
	Gareth Davies MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department of Health and Social Care
	James Davies MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department of Health and Social Care
	Rt Hon Brandon Lewis CBE MP	Secretary of State for Northern Ireland	7 July
	Helen Whately MP	Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury
	Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP	Minister of State for Security and Borders
	George Freeman MP [lower-alpha 2]	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science, Research and Innovation
	Guy Opperman MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions and Financial Inclusion
	Chris Philp MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Tech and the Digital Economy
	James Cartlidge MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice
	Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP	Secretary of State for Education
	Rob Butler MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	Rebecca Pow MP [lower-alpha 3]	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Nature Recovery and the Domestic Environment
	Jack Brereton MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for International Trade
	Fay Jones MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader of the House of Commons
	Rt Hon The Lord Grimstone	Minister of State for Investment		Quit because Johnson had decided to leave Number 10 rather than fighting to remain in his post [28]
	Rt Hon The Lord Greenhalgh	Minister of State for Building Safety and Fire	8 July	Stated "now that the die has been cast I have decided that this is the right time for me to resign" [29]
	Rt Hon The Lord Harrington	Minister of State for Refugees	4 September	Resigned from government prior to the announcement of the result of the July–September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election [30]
	Rt Hon Nigel Adams MP	Minister of State without Portfolio	5 September	Announced that they did not intend to serve in the incoming government [31]

See also

• List of departures from the second May ministry

Notes

1. Michael Gove was sacked from his Cabinet Position of Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, after he urged the PM to resign in response to the crisis.
2. George Freeman's letter outlines not having confidence in the Prime Minister, but does not explicitly say that he has resigned. ^[26]
3. Pow's resignation letter was officially submitted after Johnson had announced his resignation. Pow later tweeted that, while she had informed the Prime Minister of her intention to resign prior to his announcement, she had been unable to submit her letter in person due to her self-isolating with coronavirus. ^[27]

References

1. "Cabinet reshuffle: Sajid Javid resigns as chancellor". BBC News. 13 February 2020.
2. "Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry quits Government". North West. 13 February 2020.
3. "Minister resigns over 'veiled threats' in letter". BBC News. 4 May 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
4. MP, Douglas Ross (26 May 2020). "I haven't commented publicly on the situation with Dominic Cummings as I have waited to hear the full details. I welcome the statement to clarify matters, but there remains aspects of the explanation which I have trouble with. As a result I have resigned as a government Minister.pic.twitter.com/6yXLyMzItJ". @Douglas4Moray. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
5. Walker, Jonathan (1 September 2020). "Berwick MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan entitled to £17,000 payout after Boris Johnson abolishes her job". Chronicle Live.
6. Clarke, Simon (8 September 2020). "With regret, I have decided to stand down from the Government for personal reasons. It has been an honour and a privilege and I hope to return to serve at a future opportunity". @SimonClarkeMP. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
7. "Lord Keen: Senior law officer quits over Brexit bill row". BBC News. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
8. "Bolton Conservative MP resigns from government position over handling of lockdown". Manchester Evening News. 13 October 2020.
9. "Conservative MP quits government job over free school meals". BBC News. 22 October 2020.
10. "Liz Sugg resigns as sustainable development minister over cut to aid spending". The Guardian. 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
11. "Conservative MP Kelly Tolhurst resigns as Housing Minister following 'devastating family news'". The Telegraph. 16 January 2021.
12. Kate Proctor (20 April 2021). "Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer Quits Government Claiming It Has "Abandoned" Soldiers Who Served In Northern Ireland". PoliticsHome.
13. "Matt Hancock quits as health secretary after breaking social distance guidance". BBC News. 26 June 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
14. "James Brokenshire steps back from ministerial role for cancer surgery". BBC News. 11 January 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
15. "Brexit minister Lord Frost resigns over Covid plan B measures". The Guardian. 18 December 2021.
16. Payne, Sebastian; Thomas, Daniel (2022-01-24). "UK anti-fraud minister quits over 'lamentable' Covid loan oversight". Financial Times. Retrieved 2022-01-24.
17. "Tory MP warns he no longer supports Boris Johnson during stormy Commons session". London Evening Standard. 31 January 2022.
18. "My letter to the Prime Minister today". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
19. Correspondent, Dan Falvey-Political (2022-05-27). "Boris rattled as frontbencher RESIGNS over Partygate - 'Tarnished by toxic culture'". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-05-27.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
20. "Tonight, I have voted against the Prime Minister in the Vote of Confidence". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
21. "My letter of resignation to the Prime Minister". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
22. Jessica Elgot; Rowena Mason; Aubrey Allegretti (30 June 2022). "Tory deputy chief whip resigns after 'drunkenly groping two men'". The Guardian.
23. Turner, Camilla (6 July 2022). "Boris Johnson suffers most ministerial resignations in 24 hours since 1932". The Telegraph. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
24. Heather Stewart (5 July 2022). "Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak quit – throwing Boris Johnson's future into doubt". The Guardian.
25. "Prime Minister Liz Truss's statement: 6 September 2022". Gov.UK. HM Government. 6 September 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
26. "Enough is enough. This can't go on". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
27. Scancariello, Antonio (7 July 2022). "Taunton MP Rebecca Pow resigns as Environment Minister". Somerset County Gazette . Retrieved 9 November 2023.
28. "Johnson ally Lord Grimstone quits role as investment minister". Sky News. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
29. Stephen Greenhalgh [@team_greenhalgh] (8 July 2022). "Today I resigned as Building Safety and Fire Minister. Here is my letter to ⁦@BorisJohnson" (Tweet). Retrieved 8 July 2022– via Twitter.
30. "Ukrainian refugee minister Lord Harrington quits before PM change". BBC News. 2022-09-04. Retrieved 2022-09-05.
31. Learmonth, Andrew (5 September 2022). "Two cabinet ministers resign ahead of Liz Truss becoming Prime Minister". The Herald. Retrieved 5 September 2022.