RIGHT-HAND MAN

Britain’s Second Most Senior Lawmaker Quits After Row With Boris Johnson

The resignation opens up a rift in the ruling Conservative party just two months on from a crushing election victory.

Britain’s second most senior lawmaker, chancellor Sajid Javid, has reportedly quit after having a blazing row with boss Boris Johnson. Chancellor is the second most important job in British politics as well as being the rough equivalent to the U.S. treasury secretary. Johnson is carrying out a reshuffle of his top team on Thursday, and the BBC reported that Javid decided to quit after the prime minister told him that he could only keep his job on the condition that he fired all of his advisers. Javid has clashed with Johnson’s top aide Dominic Cummings, who wants to extend his control of the government’s communications operation. A source close to Javid reportedly told The Guardian: “The PM said he had to fire all his special advisers and replace them with No 10 special advisers to make it one team. The chancellor said no self-respecting minister would accept those terms.” The resignation opens up a huge rift in the ruling Conservative party just two months on from Johnson’s crushing election victory. Javid will be replaced by 39-year-old Rishi Sunak, who will share a backroom team with No. 10, reducing the chances of a rival powerbase being set up inside government.