Former chancellor also says Johnson was ‘least well briefed’ of the PMs he had served

Sajid Javid told Boris Johnson he was a “puppet” of Dominic Cummings before he resigned as chancellor rather than accept a Cummings-led takeover of his Treasury, he has said in an interview about his experiences as a minister.

Speaking to the Institute for Government (IfG), Javid also said that his other departure from Johnson’s government, shortly before it collapsed in 2022, was because he had lost confidence in the prime minister after being assured that allegations about lockdown-breaking parties in No 10 were “bullshit”.

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© Photograph: Belinda Jiao/Reuters

© Photograph: Belinda Jiao/Reuters

© Photograph: Belinda Jiao/Reuters

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters that he is “absolutely delighted" that progressive firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, is running for U.S. Senate in Texas.

The Senate is set to vote later this week on a three-year extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies that Republicans oppose. The G.O.P. has yet to coalesce around an alternative.

© Kenny Holston/The New York Times

The system in the House promotes control by party leaders over accountability and achievement.

© Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times

Mike Johnson’s denials of knowledge of presidential scandals strain credulity – but may be an effective tactic

The US House speaker, Mike Johnson, has developed a go-to response when asked about something controversial Donald Trump or members of his administration said or did.

It’s some version of “I don’t know anything about that.”

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© Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images