UK PM Boris Johnson suffers major blow as top ministers quit

The British pound hit a fresh March 2020 low after the announcements

Two senior U.K. cabinet ministers resigned on Tuesday in protest over Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s leadership, following a string of scandals that have plagued his tenure over the last few months.

British Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, in his resignation letter, said the government should be run “properly, competently and seriously.” Health Secretary Sajid Javid also resigned in protest of Johnson’s leadership.

The British pound hit a fresh March 2020 low after the announcements. The currency was down 1.5% for the session, hitting 1.1923 against the dollar.

Sunak said in a Tweet that “the public rightly expect the 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,” he said.

In a letter to the prime minister, Sunak added, “I am sad to be leaving government but I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that we cannot continue like this.”

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