FOREST of Dean MP Mark Harper said that Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid were right to leave the cabinet ahead of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s resignation yesterday (Thursday, July 7).

The MP spoke to Andrew Marr on LBC Radio about the ministers’ resignations on Wednesday (July 6), following the revelation that the Prime Minister knew about former deputy chief whip Chris Pincher having previously been accused of sexual assault.

Mr Harper said the scandal was “the final straw” for many of his colleagues, whose resignations and calls for Johnson to stand down led to his resignation as leader of the Tory party on Thursday.

It was later agreed by the cabinet that Mr Johnson would stay on as “caretaker” PM until a new leader is appointed in the Autumn.

Mr Harper, himself a former chief whip under David Cameron, said the ministers’ resignations “showed leadership”, and he praised them for having “sent out a message” to other party members.

He said he became “increasingly angry” at Prime Minister’s Questions as Mr Johnson tried to explain away the scandal.

“It’s clear the Prime Minister knew that the former deputy Chief Whip had committed assault”, Mr Harper said.

“There was a process and he was judged to have done those things and frankly I don’t know why the Prime Minister didn’t sack him.

“I was getting increasingly angry at the Prime Minister’s inability to see what the problem was.

“He put him in a job where he was responsible for the welfare and the pastoral care of my Parliamentary colleagues and he put them at risk and I think that is unconscionable and for many colleagues that was the final straw.”

He also criticised the PM over rumours that he wanted to call an early General Election before his resignation on Thursday.

“I’m very clear that no Prime Minister should attempt to drag the Queen into political controversy,” he added.