Accessibility links

Breaking News

British Finance Minister Unexpectedly Resigns


British lawmaker Rishi Sunak, and Chancellor of the Exchequer leaves 10 Downing Street, where he was given the job by Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as the former Chancellor Sajid Javid, resigned, Feb. 13, 2020.
British lawmaker Rishi Sunak, and Chancellor of the Exchequer leaves 10 Downing Street, where he was given the job by Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as the former Chancellor Sajid Javid, resigned, Feb. 13, 2020.

British Finance Minister Sajid Javid announced his resignation Thursday, a development that came unexpectedly as Prime Minister Boris Johnson reorganizes his Cabinet.

Javid’s resignation followed reports of tensions between him and Johnson’s top advisor, Dominic Cummings.

His announcement came less than one month before he was scheduled to unveil his first budget and as the government tries to negotiate a new relationship with the European Union by the end of the year.

The 50-year-old Javid is a former banker who transitioned into politics, serving first as interior minister.

Javid said in his first speech before parliament his experience as a banker prepared him to be a politician because both professions are disliked by the public.

  • 16x9 Image

    VOA News

    The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.

XS
SM
MD
LG