Night of the Long Boris: several UK cabinet members fired, finance chief quits

British Prime minister Boris Johnson today pushed out five cabinet members and saw another quit rather than accept the terms of staying on, reports the BBC. Sajiv Javid, exiting his role as Chancellor of the Exchequer, said that Johnson demanded he replace his aides with people hand-picked by Downing Street, a condition "no self-respecting minister" would accept. Sacked colleagues untarnished by the remark include Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith and Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom; those remaining to consider their self-respect include Home Secretary Priti Patel and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.

Javid's replacement is a man who was a junior housing minister barely months ago, described by one opposition MP as a "stooge" of top Johnson advisor Dominic Cummings. Cummings was reported to have already sidelined Javid, who refused to agree to big spending plans and tax cuts that the government hopes to sweeten Brexit with.

He has been replaced as chancellor by Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak - who just seven months ago was a junior housing minister. Mr Javid had been due to deliver his first Budget in four weeks' time. The former home secretary was appointed chancellor by Mr Johnson when he became prime minister in July. His resignation follows rumours of tensions between Mr Javid and the prime minister's senior adviser Dominic Cummings.

Barely weeks after a general election victory!