Cabinet reshuffle: Sajid Javid resigns as Chancellor after refusing to sack his advisers Julian Smith, Andrea Leadsom and Esther McVey among ministers fired in reshuffle

Boris Johnson’s government reshuffle took a sensational turn as Sajid Javid resigned as Chancellor.

Mr Javid refused to accept a demand from the Prime Minister that he dismiss all of his advisers and walked out of the Cabinet.

He is expected to be replaced by Rishi Sunak, who was previously the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

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Five Cabinet ministers were sacked by the Prime Minister before the Javid revelation as he embarked on a sweeping reshuffle of his government.

The biggest surprise was the dismissal of Julian Smith as Northern Ireland Secretary a month after he brokered the deal which restored the power-sharing administration in Stormont.

The Prime Minister also fired Andrea Leadsom as Business Secretary, Theresa Villiers as Environment Secretary, Geoffrey Cox as Attorney General and Esther McVey who attended Cabinet meetings as housing minister.

A sixth Cabinet member, Lady Nicky Morgan, had previously said she would step down as Culture Secretary at the reshuffle.

Mr Smith is understood to have fallen foul of Downing Street over the terms of the Stormont deal, including an investigation of alleged crimes by British troops during the Troubles.

Johnson ‘blindsided’

The Prime Minister is said to have felt “blindsided” by the agreement which ended more than three years of political paralysis in Northern Ireland.

Mr Smith said it had been “the biggest privilege” to serve the people of Northern Ireland and he was “extremely grateful” to have been given the chance to serve “this amazing part of our country”.

Confirming his dismissal, Mr Cox pointed out that he introduced Mr Johnson at the launch of his successful campaign to become Conservative leader.

Mrs Leadsom, who twice stood for the leadership, returns to the backbenches after three and a half years as a Cabinet minister.

Ms Villiers, who was deemed to have made little impact as Environment Secretary, said: “What the Prime Minister giveth, the Prime Minister taketh away: just over six months ago, I was delighted to be invited by the Prime Minister to return to government after three years on the backbenches.”

Lower down the ministerial ladder, Nusrat Ghani and George Freeman were fired as transport ministers and Chris Skidmore as universities and science ministers.

Women set for promotion

Oliver Dowden, who already attends Cabinet as paymaster general, is expected to become Culture Secretary, while Alok Sharma will be promoted from his current position as International Development Secretary.

Female MPs in line for promotion include the defence minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan, former Brexit minister Suella Braverman and Gillian Keegan.

Mr Johnson has reined back from earlier plans to carry out a wider-ranging cull of his Cabinet. Many senior ministers, including Priti Patel, Dominic Raab, Matt Hancock and Gavin Williamson, will remain in their posts.

Ahead of the reshuffle, a Number 10 source said: “The Prime Minister wants this reshuffle to set the foundations for government now and in the future.

“He wants to promote a generation of talent that will be promoted further in the coming years.

“He will reward those MPs who have worked hard to deliver on this Government’s priorities to level up the whole country and deliver the change people voted for last year.”