Britain’s Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg and Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis resigned following the speech by the new Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.
The Justice Secretary posted his resignation letter on Twitter, in which he said the new PM will have his support from the back benches. In a letter seen by Pindula News, Lewis said members of the Conservative Party must come together and deliver the mandate they were given by the British people. Read the statement:
Congratulations on your election as Leader of our Party and Prime Minister of our great country. Having taken the time to consider my position, I am writing to submit my resignation from the Government.
It has been the honour of my life to serve on the front bench over the last ten years and in Cabinet for the last five of those, under four Prime Ministers. In that time, I have been privileged to hold eight ministerial jobs across five departments.
I am proud to have been appointed as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice in September, and to have signed the Proclamation of His Majesty The King in the role. I have enjoyed working with the many brilliant and dedicated teams of officials across the Ministry of Justice. Our frontline prisons, probation and courts staff truly are hidden heroes.
Previously, as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, I guaranteed the largest funding settlement for Northern Ireland since devolution in 1998. The legacy of the Troubles is one of the most complex and sensitive issues we have faced as a country, so I was very pleased that we persevered against the odds and brought in the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill, which is now before Parliament.
It has been a tough time for our country, and the criminal justice system is no different. In my first few days as Lord Chancellor, I met the Criminal Bar Association and agreed a new package that has brought an end to the criminal barristers’ strike that was paralysing our courts. We have taken a big step forward in confronting the courts’ backlog and ensuring that victims get access to the justice that they deserve.
I have also radically expanded our world-leading electronic monitoring project for acquisitive crime. This close supervision will mean police and probation officers are able to impose robust restrictions on the burglars and thieves who blight communities and keep an even closer eye on them when they leave prison to prevent them returning to a life of crime.
The critical importance of the whole justice system to our country cannot be overstated. It underpins all we do, all we achieve, and all we believe in. I am honoured to have played a part in securing its sustainability for the long term, better-supporting victims, and keeping people safe.
Our Party is at a crossroads. We now have an opportunity to reunite and rebuild and we must take it. We must come together and deliver the mandate we were given by the British people. We have a duty to the country to do so, at a time of economic hardship for so many. It is no exaggeration to say that the future of the Conservative Party and everything we stand for is at stake if we do not.
You will have my support from the back benches in addressing the economic crisis we face, bringing our Party together and delivering on the promises we put forward in the 2019 manifesto, on which we won such an overwhelming majority.
Yours sincerely,
Rt Hon Brandon Lewis CBE MP www.brandonlewis.co @BrandonLewis