London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Feb 22, 2026

Boris Johnson resignation: Sajid Javid says prayer meeting moved him to quit

Boris Johnson resignation: Sajid Javid says prayer meeting moved him to quit

England's former Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, says he first thought about leaving Boris Johnson's Conservative government a week ago.

What resolved him to quit, he told the BBC's Sunday Morning show, was hearing a sermon on integrity at a prayer breakfast in Parliament on Tuesday.

He had previously given Mr Johnson the benefit of the doubt, he said.

When Mr Javid quit on Tuesday, a wave of resignations followed. Mr Johnson will now stand down in the autumn.

The event which triggered the prime minister's downfall, described by Mr Javid on Sunday as the "final trigger", was the suspension of MP Chris Pincher over sexual assault claims.

Mr Johnson had appointed Mr Pincher deputy chief whip - whose job it is to uphold discipline among fellow Tory MPs - in February, despite being made aware of earlier misconduct.

"It might sound a bit strange but I was listening to the sermon by this amazing man, Reverend Les Isaac - you know, he started Street Pastors," Mr Javid told the BBC's Sophie Raworth.

"I was listening to him talking about the importance of integrity in public life and, just focusing on that, I made up my mind.

"I went straight back to my office and drafted the resignation letter and went to see the prime minister later in the day."

Asked if he had co-ordinated his resignation with Rishi Sunak, who quit as chancellor minutes afterwards and - like Mr Javid - is now standing in the contest to replace Mr Johnson, the former health secretary said "not at all".

"Once you lose confidence in your boss, your prime minister, I don't think you can hide that," he added.

On his own ambition to replace Mr Johnson, he said he had the necessary experience and would come forward with a new Conservative economic plan.

He is promising tax cuts, arguing that without an economic uptick, funding for public services will suffer.

Asked about the years when he himself was non-domiciled for UK tax purposes, Mr Javid, who was first elected as an MP in 2010, says this was in the 2000s before he entered public life.

He says he had a job that was international and had lived abroad including in the US and Singapore. In 2009 he moved back to the UK and ever since then he has been tax resident and tax domiciled in the UK.

"Everything I've ever done when it comes to UK tax affairs has been properly consistent with UK tax," Mr Javid says.



Watch: Sajid Javid says he had given Boris Johnson the benefit of doubt before he decided to resign


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Government Weighs Removing Prince Andrew from Line of Succession After Arrest
Prince Andrew’s Arrest in UK Rekindles Scrutiny Over US Handling of Epstein Records
Trump’s Strategic Warning to UK Over Chagos Islands Deal Sparks Diplomatic Whiplash
Starmer Government Postpones Local Elections Affecting 4.5 Million Voters
UK Economy Remains Fragile Despite Recent Upturn in Headline Indicators
UK Businesses Face Fresh Uncertainty Following US Tariff Ruling
Reform UK’s Senior Figures Face Scrutiny Over Remarks on Women and Family Policy
UK Electric Vehicle Drive Threatened by Shortage of 44,000 Qualified Technicians
University of Kentucky Trustees Advance Academic Reforms and Approve Coliseum Plaza Purchase
Boris Johnson Calls for Immediate Deployment of UK Troops to Support Ukraine
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praises the rapid progress of Chinese tech companies.
North Korea's capital experiences a significant construction boom with the development of a new city district dubbed 'Pyonghattan'.
New electric vehicle charging service eliminates waiting times
Vox Populi confronts Justin Trudeau at Davos over vaccination policies
Poland's President Karol Nawrocki ENDS support for Ukrainian citizens:
The mayor of Rotherham in Britain
One day after ex-Prince Andrew's arrest, British police are searching his former home, while U.K. lawmakers will consider introducing legislation to remove him from the line of royal succession
Vandana Shiva reminding the world that Bill Gates did not invent anything.
Italy's PM Giorgia Meloni highlights record employment and economic growth
UK Confirms Preferential U.S. Trading Terms Will Continue After Supreme Court Tariff Ruling
U.S. and U.K. to Hold Talks on Diego Garcia as Iran Objects to Potential Military Use
UK Officials Weigh Possible Changes to Prince Andrew’s Position in Line of Succession Amid Ongoing Scrutiny
British Police Probe Epstein’s UK Airport Links and Expand High-Profile Inquiries
The Impact of U.S. Sanctions on Cuba's Humanitarian Crisis: A Tightening Noose
Trump Directs Government to Release UFO and Alien Information
Trump Signs Global 10% Tariffs on Imports
United Kingdom Denies U.S. Access to Military Base for Potential Iran Strike
British Co-founder of ASOS falls to his death from Pattaya apartment
Early 2026 Data Suggests Tentative Recovery for UK Businesses and Households
UK Introduces Digital-First Passport Rules for Dual Citizens in Border Control Overhaul
Unable to Access Live Financial Data for January UK Surplus Report
UK Government Considers Law to Remove Prince Andrew from Royal Line of Succession
UK ‘Working Closely with US’ to Assess Impact of Supreme Court Tariff Ruling
Trump Criticises UK Decision to Restrict Use of Bases in Potential Iran Strike Scenario
UK Foreign Secretary and U.S. State Chief Hold Strategic Talks as Tensions Rise Over Joint Air Base
Two teens arrested in France for alleged terror plot.
Nordic Fracture: How Criminal Scandals and Toxic Ties are Dismantling the Norwegian Crown
US Supreme Court Voids Trump’s Emergency Tariff Plan, Reshaping Trade Power and Fiscal Risk
King Charles III Opens London Fashion Week as Royal Family Faces Fresh Scrutiny
Trump’s Evolving Stance on UK Chagos Islands Deal Draws Renewed Scrutiny
House Democrat Says Former UK Ambassador Unable to Testify in Congressional Epstein Inquiry
No Record of Prince Andrew Arrest in UK as Claims Circulate Online
UK Has Not Granted US Approval to Launch Iran Strikes from RAF Bases, Government Confirms
AI Pricing Pressure Mounts as Chinese Models Undercut US Rivals and Margin Risks Grow
Global Counsel, Advisory Firm Co-Founded by Lord Mandelson, Enters Administration After Client Exodus
London High Court dispute over Ricardo Salinas’s $400mn Elektra share-backed bitcoin loan
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Former Student Files Civil Claim Against UK Authorities After Rape Charges Against Peers Are Dropped
Archer Aviation Chooses Bristol for New UK Engineering Hub to Drive Electric Air Taxi Expansion
UK Sees Surge in Medical Device Testing as Government Pushes Global Competitiveness
×