Javid’s departure is a major upset at a turbulent time for Britain, just weeks after leaving the European Union on Jan 31, a process that has left the country with an uncertain future.
Javid, a former City of London banker born into a working-class Muslim family, was considered safe in his job despite reports of tensions between him and Johnson’s senior aide, Dominic Cummings. The British province had no government since Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party fell out in January 2017 over a renewable energy scandal.
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, who was also closely involved in the power-sharing talks, said that without Smith’s leadership there would be no government in Belfast. Smith said it had been “the biggest privilege”, adding that he was “extremely grateful” to Johnson for giving him the chance to serve.