Ministerial resignations are “not unsurprising or unnatural” at this stage in the election cycle, a Tory frontbencher insisted after Rishi Sunak suffered a double blow yesterday. 

Robert Halfon unexpectedly quit as skills, apprenticeships and higher education minister, while James Heappey followed through on his stated intention to step down as armed forces minister. 

Andrew Griffith, the science minister, sought to downplay the significance of the resignations as he argued the Tories have a “broad and deep bench to draw from”. 

Asked why he believed ministers were quitting ahead of the general election, Mr Griffith told Times Radio: “These are ministers that have given a great deal to this country, they have done a big tour of duty in government and they have also been parliamentarians for a long and distinguished period of time.

“We are very fortunate in the Conservatives, we have a broad and deep bench to draw from and so it is not unsurprising or unnatural at this point in the cycle that out of the many ministers that we have in government that some have decided that their next tour of duty lies elsewhere.”

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