The Armed Forces Minister has become the latest Tory MP to walkout during a mass exodus as faith in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak falls to new lows.
Minister’s Resignation
In the middle of what’s being described as a mass exodus from Tory MPs ahead of the general election this year, James Heappey has announced his decision to step down as Armed Forces Minister. Heappey’s departure from his role as Conservative MP for Wells and his role as Armed Forces Minister was confirmed by government officials.
Officials confirmed that Heappey would not wait until the general election to step down, revealing that he will relieve himself of his duties at the end of March 2024.
Heappey now joins a concerningly growing list of MPs stepping down as the Labour Party is predicted to inflict a landslide defeat upon the Tories in the general election. Heappey says his decision was a “Painful” one followed by citing personal reasons for the reason of his departure.
Personal Decision
Heappey conveyed his decision to “step away from politics, prioritise my family and pursue a new career,” as he becomes the latest Tory MP to depart in the mass exodus.
He took a moment to thank the government for the opportunity “I’ll forever be grateful for the incredible opportunity to serve this amazing constituency in Westminster.”
Heappey’s decision adds to the increasing number of Conservative MPs opting not to seek re-election, with around 60 MPs already announcing their intent to stand down.
Other Tories to Take a Backseat
Former Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May announced her departure from politics after a staggering 27 years as a Tory MP for Maidenhead. May insisted that she believed the Tories and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak could win the general election despite stepping down in her role.
It was recently reported that Heappey had expressed his discontent privately after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced the Budget, although he did not cite this as a reason for stepping down.
Heappey was allegedly concerned about a lack of spending on defence in the Spring Budget, venting his frustration privately to his colleagues.
Budget Figures Raise Concerns
Tables within the Financial Statement and Budget Report revealed that routine spending on the Armed Forces is projected to decrease by £2.2 billion in the coming year.
A former Army Commander has slammed Hunt’s decision not to spend more on the UK’s defence in a time when global conflicts are rising and there’s a possibility of the UK being sucked in.
Former Army Commander Colonel Hamish declared the lack of defence spending “short-sighted” and argued that “The defence of our realm” is not important for the government.
British Army “Too Small”
Army Chief, General Sir Patrick Sanders, recently made a controversial comment that the British Army was “too small” to protect itself from a Russian invasion.
Sir Patrick also claimed that, in the hypothetical event of the UK being sucked into a war with Russia, civilians would have to be called up to fight due to lack of recruitment.
Despite many Tory MPs and Labour MPs backing a general election as early as May, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently ruled out the possibility, making it likely to be in Autumn. The mass Tory walk-out has been described as the largest since 1997, when former Prime Minister Tony Blair spearheaded Labour to a landslide victory.
Heappey becomes one of over 60 Conservatives to step down ahead of the general election, showing that it’s not just the public who have lost faith in the Prime Minister.
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