Guy Opperman has agreed to return to his pensions minister post until a new leader of the Conservative party is elected.
Opperman announced his reappointment as parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Work and Pensions on Twitter on July 8, a day after resigning from his post when he said the government could no longer function and asked prime minister Boris Johnson to step down from office.
“[I] have agreed to help DWP navigate the next few weeks, while we decide the appointment of a new prime minister,” he said.
He detailed the current topics the department is having to deal with, such as “superfunds, defined benefit issues, an outstanding [environmental, social and governance] consultation, ongoing correction exercises, and three to four pending private members bills”, which mean that “when the chief whip asked me to help until the new PM was chosen, I agreed”.
I have agreed to help DWP navigate the next few weeks, while we decide the appointment of a new prime minister
Guy Opperman, DWP
Opperman’s resignation sparked fears in the industry that important reforms, such as regulations for the new DB funding code, auto-enrolment expansion, the single code of practice, and the Pensions Regulator’s notifiable events regime, could be brought to a halt.
In his resignation letter on July 7 to Johnson, Opperman wrote: “I have given you ample opportunity to show real change. Sadly, recent events have shown clearly that government simply cannot function with you in charge.
“In good faith, and with regret, for the good of the country, I must ask you to stand down. No one individual, however successful in the past, is bigger than the party or this great country.”
Over the past two weeks, Johnson has been embroiled in a row over his role in appointing MP Chris Pincher as deputy chief whip earlier this year.
Pincher resigned on June 30 after allegedly groping two men at a private members’ club in London.
But there were questions over whether Johnson was aware of a separate sexual misconduct allegation made against Pincher before he was appointed to the role of deputy whip.
Government resignations throw pensions into ‘turmoil’
Collapsing scenery in and around Downing Street has sparked fear in the pensions industry, as the resignation of pensions minister Guy Opperman brings important reforms to a halt.
A number of high-profile cabinet ministers resigned on July 5 over the row, including former chancellor Rishi Sunak and former health secretary Sajid Javid. Nadhim Zahawi MP and Steve Barclay MP were appointed to replace them, respectively.
Despite attempting to fend off repeated calls for him to step down from his own party — with more than 50 MPs resigning from government roles — Johnson finally announced on July 7 he was resigning and the process to find a new leader was now in motion.
He said a timetable for the search for a new prime minister will be announced this week, following reports that he will stay on in the role until the autumn.
