List of departures from the second May ministry

File:Theresa May in Tallin crop.jpg

Prime Minister Theresa May chaired meetings of the British Cabinet in her second government from 2017 to 2019

This is a list of resignations from the Second government formed by Prime Minister Theresa May. After forming a Conservative minority government on 11 June 2017, Theresa May faced a significant number of front bench resignations. These included 16 departures from the Cabinet, including three from the Great Offices of State. She experienced 60 ministerial departures with 42 of these being resignations due to disunity regarding Brexit discord. Lastly, Theresa May herself resigned on 24th July, with Boris Johnson being appointed Prime Minister by Queen Elizabeth II shortly after.

Context and implications for government

The Cabinet table

The pace and amount of resignations was described as 'unprecedented' by the Institute for Government, with resignations impacting the civil functioning of the government. For example, in March 2019 fifteen posts had been left vacant due to resignations and a lack of MPs willing to fill positions. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Amber Rudd had to take on Sarah Newton's responsibilities as Minister of State for Disabled People as the position was left unfilled two weeks after her resignation. In less than three years, Theresa May saw more resignations than Thatcher or Blair. The resignations also occurred amid a break down of cabinet collective responsibility, with Chief Whip Julian Smith describing May's Cabinet as exhibiting the 'worst cabinet ill-discipline in history', as well as various MPs resigning the whip, including three to join The Independent Group of MPs.

2017

Colour key
Opposition to government policy on Brexit      Due to a breach of the Ministerial Code

Minister (Cabinet members shown in bold)		Office	Date of resignation	Reason
75px	Rt Hon The Lord Bridges of Headley	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union	12 June	Differences between May's approach to Brexit and his own.
100x100px	Andrew Percy MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth	14 June	Decided to "pursue other challenges" and resigned despite being invited to remain in government.
75px	Rt Hon The Lord Price	Minister of State for Trade Policy	3 September	Wanted to pursue ‘business and writing interests’.
75px	Rt Hon The Baroness Anelay of St Johns PC	Minister of State for Exiting the European Union	27 October	Resigned on health grounds, due to an injury sustained in 2015.
75px	Rt Hon Sir Michael Fallon MP	Secretary of State for Defence	1 November	Allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour.
75px	Christopher Pincher MP	Comptroller of the Household	5 November	Allegations of sexual assault and harassment.
75px	Rt Hon Priti Patel MP	Secretary of State for International Development	8 November	Conflict of interest arising from secret meetings with the Israeli government.
75px	Rt Hon Damian Green MP	First Secretary of State Minister for the Cabinet Office	20 December	Found to have lied about the presence of pornographic images on his office computer.

2018

Colour key
Opposition to government policy on Brexit      Due to a breach of the Ministerial Code

Minister (Cabinet members shown in bold)		Office	Date of resignation	Reason
75px	Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP	Secretary of State for Northern Ireland	8 January	Resigned on health grounds, due to an upcoming lung operation.
75px	Rt Hon Justine Greening MP	Secretary of State for Education	8 January	Refused to accept a new position at DWP during the 2018 cabinet reshuffle.
75px	Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP	Home Secretary	29 April	Misled the Home Affairs Select Committee during a hearing on the Windrush scandal.
75px	Phillip Lee MP	Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Justice	12 June	Opposition to the government's approach to Brexit. Lee later defected to the Liberal Democrats due to the Brexit policy of Boris Johnson.
75px	Rt Hon Greg Hands MP	Minister of State for International Trade	21 June	Opposition to the expansion of Heathrow Airport; voted against the Airports National Policy Statement.
75px	Rt Hon David Davis MP	Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union	8 July	Opposition to the Chequers Agreement.
75px	Steve Baker MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union	9 July	Opposition to the Chequers Agreement.
	Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP	Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs	9 July	Opposition to the Chequers Agreement.
75px	Conor Burns MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Foreign Office	9 July	Opposition to the Chequers Agreement.
75px	Chris Green MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Transport	9 July	Opposition to the Chequers Agreement.
75px	Andrew Griffiths MP	Minister of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy	13 July	Allegations of sexual misconduct.
100x100px	Robert Courts MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Foreign Office	15 July	Opposition to the Chequers Agreement.
75px	Scott Mann MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to HM Treasury	16 July	Opposition to the Chequers Agreement.
75px	Guto Bebb MP	Minister for Defence Procurement	16 July	Opposition to government-backed amendments to the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Bill.
75px	Tracey Crouch MP	Minister for Sport, Civil Society and Loneliness	1 November	Opposition to policy rollout delays announced in the 2018 budget.
75px	Jo Johnson MP	Minister of State for Transport Minister for London	9 November	Opposition to the government's handling of Brexit negotiations.
75px	Shailesh Vara MP	Minister of State for Northern Ireland	15 November	Opposition to the Draft Withdrawal Agreement.
75px	Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP	Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union	15 November	Opposition to the Draft Withdrawal Agreement.
75px	Rt Hon Esther McVey MP	Secretary of State for Work and Pensions	15 November	Opposition to the Draft Withdrawal Agreement.
75px	Suella Braverman MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union	15 November	Opposition to the Draft Withdrawal Agreement.
75px	Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Education	15 November	Opposition to the Draft Withdrawal Agreement.
75px	Ranil Jayawardena MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Work and Pensions	15 November	Opposition to the Draft Withdrawal Agreement.
75px	Rehman Chishti MP	Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy to Pakistan	15 November	Opposition to the Draft Withdrawal Agreement and the government's handling of the Asia Bibi blasphemy case.
75px	Sam Gyimah MP	Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation	30 November	Opposition to the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration.
100x100px	Will Quince MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Ministry of Defence	8 December	Opposition to the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration.
75px	Rt Hon The Lord O'Shaughnessy	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health	31 December	Resigned due to "family circumstances."

2019

Colour key
Opposition to government policy on Brexit      Opposition to the incoming Prime Minister

Minister (Cabinet members shown in bold)		Office	Date of resignation	Reason
75px	Gareth Johnson MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Exiting the European Union	14 January	Voted against the Withdrawal Agreement in the first meaningful vote.
75px	Craig Tracey MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for International Development	15 January	Voted against the Withdrawal Agreement in the first meaningful vote.
75px	Eddie Hughes MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government	15 January	Voted against the Withdrawal Agreement in the first meaningful vote.
100x100px	Alberto Costa MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Scotland Office	27 February	Asked to resign after tabling an amendment to protect rights of EU citizens.
75px	George Eustice MP	Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries & Food	28 February	Dissatisfaction with the government acceding to a possible vote on delaying Brexit.
75px	Sarah Newton MP	Minister of State for Disabled People	13 March	Voted against the government whip and in favour of the "Spelman amendment."
75px	Paul Masterton MP	Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Scotland Office	13 March	Voted against the government whip and supported the amended motion after the "Spelman amendment" passed.
75px	Richard Harrington MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Industry	25 March	Voted against the government whip and in favour of the "Letwin amendment."
75px	Steve Brine MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Primary Care	25 March	Voted against the government whip and in favour of the "Letwin amendment."
75px	Rt Hon Alistair Burt MP	Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa	25 March	Voted against the government whip and in favour of the "Letwin amendment."
75px	Nigel Adams MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales	3 April	Opposition to the Prime Minister's attempt to find common ground on a Brexit deal with Jeremy Corbyn.
75px	Chris Heaton-Harris MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union	3 April	Opposition to a further extension of Article 50.
75px	Rt Hon The Lord Bates	Minister of State for International Development	23 April	Wanted the freedom to explore a "process for restoring our national unity."
100x100px	Rt Hon Gavin Williamson MP	Secretary of State for Defence	1 May	Dismissed by PM after National Security Council investigation found Williamson leaked highly classified information, in contradiction to the Official Secrets Act, regarding Huawei's 5G network to a national newspaper.
75px	Rt Hon The Baroness Fairhead	Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion	7 May	Resigned for “personal reasons.”
75px	Rt Hon The Baroness Manzoor	Baroness-in-Waiting Government Whip	7 May	Resigned for “personal reasons.”
75px	Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP	Leader of the House of Commons Lord President of the Council	22 May	Resigned due to opposition to the Government's Withdrawal Agreement Bill which was set to be introduced.
75px	Margot James MP	Minister of State for Digital and Creative Industries	18 July	Resigned in order to support an amendment seeking to prevent prorogation of Parliament.
100x100px	Andrew Percy MP	Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy to Canada	22 July	Resigned over opposition to how no deal Brexit policies would harm UK–Canada trade.
100x100px	Rt Hon Alan Duncan MP	Minister of State for Europe and the Americas	22 July	Resigned in opposition to the incoming Prime Minister's acceptance of a no deal Brexit.
100x100px	Rt Hon Anne Milton MP	Minister of State for Apprenticeships and Skills	23 July	Resigned due to 'grave concerns' over Boris Johnson's Brexit policies.
75px	Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP	Chancellor of the Exchequer	24 July	Resigned in protest at Boris Johnson's willingness to leave the EU without a deal.
100x100px	Rt Hon David Gauke MP	Secretary of State for Justice Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain	24 July	Resigned in protest at Boris Johnson's willingness to leave the EU without a deal.
100x100px	Rt Hon Rory Stewart OBE FRSL FRSGS MP	Secretary of State for International Development	24 July	Resigned in protest at Boris Johnson's willingness to leave the EU without a deal.
	The Rt Hon David Lidington CBE MP	Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Minister for the Cabinet Office	24 July	May's de facto Deputy PM resigned in protest at Boris Johnson's willingness to leave the EU without a deal, as well as believing it was time to leave the frontbench.
103x103px	Rt Hon The Lord Taylor of Holbeach	Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords	24 July	Resigned independent of the "political situation" having planned to resign for a long time beforehand.

See also

• 2018 British cabinet reshuffle
• List of departures from the first Johnson ministry
• List of departures from the second Johnson ministry