Sajid Javid: who is wife Laura, what did MP say in resignation speech, why did he resign as health secretary?

Sajid Javid has resigned as health secretary saying that he has lost confidence in prime minister Boris Johnson’s ability to govern in the national interest after a series of scandals.

Mr Javid was the secretary of state for health and social care for just over a year, from June 2021 to July 2022.

But why did Mr Javid resign, and what was in his letter? Here’s what you need to know.

Why did Sajid Javid resign? 

Mr Javid resigned just minutes before the chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak and cited a loss of confidence in Mr Johnson’s ability to govern in the national interest.

In his resignation letter, he wrote: “The tone you set as a leader, and the values you represent, reflect on your colleagues, your party and ultimately the country. Conservatives at their best are seen as hard-headed decision-makers, guided by strong values.

“We may not have always been popular, but we have been competent in acting in the national interest. Sadly, in the current circumstances, the public are concluding that we are now neither"

Later in the letter, he stated: "I regret to say, however, that it is clear to me that this situation will not change under your leadership - and you have therefore lost my confidence too."

Mr Javid said British citizens “demand integrity from their government", and that the public now believes Mr Johnson’s team is inept and not "acting in the national interest."

The recent vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister, according to Mr Javid, was a "time for humility, grip, and a new direction."

His resignation comes after the fallout from the controversy around sexual assault allegations facing former deputy chief whip Chris Pincher.

What did Sajid Javid say in Prime Minister’s Questions? 

Mr Javid told the House of Commons that “the problem starts at the top” and is “not going to change” during his resignation statement.

He added that “enough is enough’’ and that he was no longer willing to “risk losing my integrity” by serving in Mr Johnson’s government.

He said: “I do fear the reset button can only work so many times.

"There’s only so many times you can turn that machine on and off before you realise something is fundamentally wrong.

"Last month, I gave the benefit of the doubt one last time but I have concluded that the problem starts at the top and I believe that it is not going to change."

Mr Javid said he believes “a team is as good as its team captain" and "loyalty must go both ways".

He added that it "is not fair" ministers had to appear on TV every morning defending lines that "don’t stand up, don’t hold up".

What other ministerial roles has Sajid Javid held? 

Mr Javid became MP for Bromsgrove in 2010 but has held several ministerial positions over the past decade.

From 2014-2015, he held the position of secretary of state for culture, media and sport.

He then went on to be the president of the board of trade and secretary of state for business, innovation and skills from 2015 to 2016.

For two years, from 2016-2018, he was the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government.

In 2018, he held the office of home secretary for a year. With this role, he made history by becoming one of the first British Asians to hold one of the great offices of state.

He then went on to become the chancellor of the exchequer for a year (2019-2020). Mr Javid then took the role of secretary of state for health and social care (2021-2022) before his resignation on Tuesday night.

What is Sajid Javid’s background? 

Mr Javid, 52, was born in Rochdale, Lancashire to a British Pakistani family. He was raised largely in Bristol and studied economics and politics at the University of Exeter where he joined the Conservative Party.

Before getting into politics, he worked in banking and rose to become a managing director at Deutsche Bank.

Sajid Javid married his wife, businesswoman and social activist, Laura King, in 1997, after meeting at the age of 18, during their summer job at Commercial Union in Brsitol. Together they have four children.