In the light of further controversy and questions about his integrity and ability to govern, it was no surprise when Boris Johnson resigned as leader of the Conservative Party this week.
Sally-Ann Hart, MP for Hastings and Rye, had already released a statement on Wednesday withdrawing her support for the prime minister. In her statement she said; "Considering the further revelations that have come to light, and given that the integrity of Parliament must be upheld, on behalf of my constituents of Hastings and Rye I am no longer able to support Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party and prime minister.”
Following Mr. Johnson's resignation on Thursday morning, Sally-Ann Hart said; "I believe the prime minister's decision to resign is the right one for him to make. As many of you will know, I withdrew my support from Boris Johnson due to issues surrounding the appointment of the former deputy chief whip and, since then, have watched as many of my colleagues did the same.
Whilst not a decision for me to take lightly, I remain firmly convinced that this was the correct decision for me to make on behalf of the people of Hastings, Rye, and the surrounding villages"
Speaking to Rye News, the local MP added: "Some of you may have heard that I no longer feel able to support Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party nor as prime minister. Many of you will agree with my decision, many of you will not; I feel that I have made the right decision on behalf of the constituents of Hastings and Rye, whom I believe deserve better than what we have all witnessed over the past few months.
"This has not been an easy decision for me as I have been loyal to the prime minister since I was elected in 2019, but I cannot bend any further. I firmly believe that he has got the big decisions right, delivering Brexit, steering the country through a pandemic, and leading international support for Ukraine. I have also felt that the country does not need the Conservative Party squabbling about internal matters whilst going through a very difficult time economically and that we should be focusing on these issues.
"Loyalty is really important, especially in politics. However, so is integrity. I admit to being very disappointed to find out yesterday that the prime minister was indeed made aware of a complaint as regards the former deputy chief whip, Christopher Pincher, and his historic inappropriate behaviour but nonetheless appointed him to a government position responsible for the welfare of MPs. I am disappointed that the prime minister was not honest about his knowledge of the complaint, and it took a former senior civil servant to challenge claims made by No. 10.
"My drive to do this job has always been about Hastings and Rye and my priority is to my constituents, party members, and local colleagues who have all worked tirelessly for residents. I will continue to do all that I can for our wonderful part of the country."
The full monthly comment from Sally-Ann Hart can be read here.
