So who’s running the economy right now exactly?

Steve Barclay and Nadim Zahawi have been appointed health secretary and chancellor respectively after Boris Johnson faced a fresh government crisis on Tuesday.

Barclay was appointed chief of staff during the Partygate scandal in February and was previously chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and a Brexit secretary.

Chancellor Zahawi will now inherit the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation and will be responsible for putting together the autumn as inflation rises.

The new roles come after Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid resigned on Tuesday, saying they no longer have confidence in the prime minister.

Sunak said “the public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously”, adding “I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning.”

In an incendiary letter, Javid said the British people “expect integrity from their government” but voters now believed Johnson’s administration was neither competent nor “acting in the national interest”.

The health secretary mirrored Sunak's words in his resignation letter, saying the government was not "acting in the national interest".

The two senior cabinet ministers quit moments after the prime minister offered his humiliating apology for his handling of the Chris Pincher row, who is facing sexual misconduct allegations. "It was a mistake," he said, adding: "I apologise for it."

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There is also, of course, the permanent staff of civil servants who remain in place regardless of any government drama and changes.

Senior ministers, including the foreign secretary Liz Truss, the deputy prime minister Dominic Raab, and the defence secretary Ben Wallace, also made clear they were standing by Johnson.

Others have also vouched they will not be handing in their resignations. They include: Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, Home Secretary Priti Patel, Attorney General Suella Braverman, International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Brexit Opportunities Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, Scotland Secretary Alister Jack and Wales Secretary Simon Hart.

The prime minister remains in overall control – although a political fallout is expected to follow.

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