Three education ministers among more than 30 ministers and aides to resign

Update 16:50

32 ministers and aides have now resigned: Labour MP Meg Hillier has just told Boris Johnson this during the liaison committee meeting, where the prime minister is facing questions from senior MPs. Pressure is mounting on the prime minister to resign, and there are reports that cabinet ministers, including Nadhim Zahawi - who was appointed Chancellor yesterday - are planning to go to Downing Street to tell Boris Johnson that he must resign. 

Afternoon update (15:00)

In a joint statement, Alex Burghart, the skills minister in the DfE has now also resigned, along with four other ministers, including Kemi Badenoch, the equalities minister; Neil O’Brien, the levelling up minister; Lee Rowley, the business minister; and Julia Lopez, the minister for media, data and digital infrastructure.

It has been reported by the BBC that 27 ministers and aides have so far resigned from government following the resignations of the chancellor Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid, yesterday evening.

Michelle Donelan has been named as the new education secretary, replacing Nadhim Zahawi who has been promoted to chancellor following Rishi Sunak’s resignation.

Two ministers at the Department for Education resigned this morning – Will Quince, the children and families minister, closely followed by schools minister Robin Walker, in the wake of yesterday’s resignations amid ongoing government scandal. Robert Halfon, chair of the education committee has also withdrawn his support from the prime minister (see statement below).

Donelan has been promoted from her role as higher and further education minister.

She was elected as the MP for Chippenham in 2015.

In 2019, she temporarily replaced Kemi Badenoch as children’s minister when she went on maternity leave and was subsequently promoted to universities minister by Gavin Williamson in February 2020.

Originally from Cheshire, Donelan attended a state school and studied history and politics at the University of York.

She campaigned for fairer funding for schools and support for young families.

She is favour of academy schools and has consistently voted for a reduction in spending on welfare benefits.

Before entering politics she worked in marketing and the media and entertainment industry.

Zahawi has been appointed as chancellor following Rishi Sunak's resignation yesterday.

The Conservative chair of the education committee Robert Halfon, MP for Harlow, has also this morning issued a statement saying he could no longer support the prime minister and backs a change of party leader.

Halfon said, 'After the events of the past few days and the resignation of Cabinet members, I feel that the public have been misled about the appointment of the former Deputy Chief Whip, the parties at Number 10 Downing Street were bad enough, but the appointment of this individual and the untruthful statements about what was known, is unacceptable to me.'