Opperman resigns as pensions minister

Opperman was the longest-serving pensions minister at the Department for Work and Pensions, having taken up ministerial office on June 14 2017.

In his resignation letter, the now former pensions minister said the government can no longer function and has asked Boris Johnson to step down from office.

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

Guy Opperman, former pensions minister

Nadhim Zahawi, who has been chancellor for two days, also said this morning (July 7) that Johnson should leave office and that his leadership “is not sustainable” and “will only get worse”.

Michelle Donelan, who was appointed education secretary two days ago, has also resigned.

In his resignation letter, 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 week, Johnson has been embroiled in a row over his role in appointing MP Chris Pincher as deputy chief whip earlier this year.

Pincher resigned last week 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.

A number of high-profile cabinet ministers have resigned over the past two days over the row, including former chancellor Rishi Sunak and former economic secretary to the Treasury John Glen.

At 8.50am on July 7, as many as 54 MPs had resigned from government responsibilities, with some of the more recent resignations described as “ultra-loyalists” to Johnson.

This article first appeared on FTAdviser.com