Zac Goldsmith resigns and another Tory civil war erupts

Zac Goldsmith resigns and it has caused another huge row in the Conservative party.

Zac Goldsmith resigns

Goldsmith claims he has stepped down because Rishi Sunak doesn’t care about the climate emergency.

Lord Goldsmith hit out at Mr Sunak’s government’s “apathy” towards the environment as he resigned as a Foreign Office minister.

🚨 | BREAKING: Zac Goldsmith RESIGNS from Rishi Sunak’s government

“The problem is not that the government is hostile to the environment, it is that you, our Prime Minister, are simply uninterested.” pic.twitter.com/ER6Ta1KKTX

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) June 30, 2023

Alastair Campbell tweeted: “I have read (and written) a fair few ministerial resignation letters in my time. Not sure I can recall one quite as brutal as this from ⁦@ZacGoldsmith.”

I have read (and written) a fair few ministerial resignation letters in my time. Not sure I can recall one quite as brutal as this from ⁦@ZacGoldsmith⁩ https://t.co/m3Nel9myIr

— ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) June 30, 2023

“He was instrumental in raising the profile of biodiversity in the climate agenda at Cop26 and made valuable contributions to Cop15,” said interim UN biodiversity chief David Cooper, in response to Goldsmith’s announcement.

Tory civil war

However, Rishi Sunak said Goldsmith resigned after refusing to apologise for his unacceptable attack on privileges committee.

The Guardian’s Helena Horton tweeted: “Zac Goldsmith tells me it’s not true that he resigned because Rishi Sunak asked him to apologise “as a minister it is true to say that I shouldn’t have commented publicly.”

Zac Goldsmith tells me it’s not true that he resigned because Rishi Sunak asked him to apologise “as a minister it is true to say that I shouldn’t have commented publicly” pic.twitter.com/gz4vhLPYhn

— Helena Horton (@horton_official) June 30, 2023

Now Zac Goldsmith has told the BBC that Rishi Sunk was “wrong” and that he was “happy to apologise” for what he said in public about the privileges committee’s inquiry into Boris Johnson.

The BBC’s Denis Doherty tweeted this…

“Zac Goldsmith tells BBC “the PM is wrong” to say he had refused to apologise for comments made about the Privileges Committee, insisting he is “happy to do so” and maintains it was the government’s recent record on enviro issues that meant his resignation was “a long time coming.”

Zac Goldsmith tells BBC "the PM is wrong" to say he had refused to apologise for comments made about the Privileges Committee, insisting he is "happy to do so" and maintains it was the government's recent record on enviro issues that meant his resignation was "a long time coming" pic.twitter.com/90OtXEBEiY

— Denis Doherty (@DenisDoherty) June 30, 2023

NHS

It all came as the PM prepared to lay out his plan touted as a “cornerstone” of his vision for “a better, more modern healthcare system.” but it has been overshadowed by this Goldsmith row.

Sunak has claimed that you can trust the government with the NHS, with his 15 year plan after 13 years of Tory rule…

Rishi Sunak – "You can trust this government with the NHS" 👀 pic.twitter.com/0MnkRzG6WJ

— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) June 30, 2023

A lot of people shared this meme in response…

https://twitter.com/Pagik4/status/1674738260688490497

Rwanda

Also, Sunak lost the battle to send migrants to Rwanda after a court ruling its Rwanda policy is unlawful.

However, Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman are going to appeal the decision.

Left: Suella Braverman, "This judgment is disappointing for the British people."

Right: None of the British people on #BBCQT -which included a majority of Conservative voters- said they support the Rwanda policy. pic.twitter.com/PWglyRrj01

— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) June 30, 2023

Related: NHS: As Tories launch 15 year plan after 13 years of rule video goes viral