Former Chancellor and Home Secretary Sajid Javid to replace Matt Hancock as Health Secretary – and ousted No 10 adviser Dominic Cummings claims the appointment is all down to Johnson’s wife Carrie

Former Chancellor and Home Secretary Sajid Javid will replace Matt Hancock as Health Secretary, Downing Street has announced, with Dominic Cummings suggesting ‘Saj’s’ appointment is down to Boris Johnson’s new wife Carrie.

The news came less than two hours after Matt Hancock announced his resignation from the position following the emergence of video footage showing him kissing an aide in his ministerial office in a breach of coronavirus restrictions.

A statement from Downing Street on Saturday night said: ‘The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of the Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.’

Mr Javid resigned as Chancellor of the Exchequer in February 2020 and was replaced by the current incumbent, Rishi Sunak – who was previously Mr Javid’s deputy in the Treasury department.

Javid’s resignation came after Mr Johnson tried to sack his entire team in 2019, and amid rumours of a tumultuous relationship with Johnson’s former senior adviser Dominic Cummings, who himself resigned in November last year.

But despite their stormy relationship, Mr Javid has returned to the Prime Minister’s cabinet after over a year in the cold as an emergency replacement for Mr Hancock, who resigned at around 6pm on Saturday night.