Sajid Javid tells Boris Johnson 'enough is enough' in resignation speech

The Prime Minister watched on as his former Health Secretary told parliamentary colleagues that “treading the tightrope between loyalty and integrity has become impossible in recent months.

“I will never risk losing my integrity.”

His quitting less than 24 hours previously was the first in what has become a deluge of resignations from positions in Boris Johnson’s government following a slew of recent scandals.

He also suggested he had been told by Number 10 that there were no parties in Downing Street following the first emergence of reports.

I also believe a team is as good as its team captain and a captain is as good as his or her team. So, loyalty must go both ways.

“The events of recent months have made it increasingly difficult to be in that team.

“It’s not fair on ministerial colleagues to go out every morning defending lines that don’t stand up and don’t hold up.

“It’s not fair on my parliamentary colleagues, who bear the brunt of constituents’ dismay in their inboxes and on the doorsteps in recent elections.

“And it’s not fair on Conservative members and voters who rightly expect better standards from the party they supported.”

Mr Javid said he was “personally assured at the most senior level” of Mr Johnson’s team that there had been “no parties in Downing Street and no rules were broken” when the first stories emerged last year.

He explained: “So I gave the benefit of doubt. And I went on those media rounds to say that I’d had those assurances from the most senior level of the Prime Minister’s team.

“Then we had more stories. We had the Sue Gray report, a new Downing Street team. I continued to give the benefit of the doubt.”

In reference to the appointment of and allegations linked to Tamworth MP Chris Pincher, Mr Javid said: “This week again, we have reason to question the truth and integrity of what we’ve all been told. And at some point we have to conclude that enough is enough.

“I believe that point is now.”

He added: “I do fear that the reset button can only work so many times. There’s only so many times you can turn that machine on and off before you realise that something is fundamentally wrong."