UNQUESTIONABLY one of the biggest beasts in the political pack over the last decade, Sajid Javid, the former chancellor, health and home secretary, announced he was stepping down from front line politics not so long ago. In December 2022, he called time on his parliamentary career, saying he had wrestled with the decision “for some time”. In a post on X, he wrote: “After much reflection I have decided that I will not be standing again at the next General Election.” An MP for the leafy suburb of Bromsgrove in Worcestershire, he has served that constituency since 2010. He called it an “incredible privilege and said he would “continue to support the government and the causes I believe in”.

It is said he continues to do that from within the party and is one of the Tories’ most respect ed and prominent figures. Rishi Sunak with whom Javid had worked at the Treasury paid tribute at the time of his shock resignation from being chancellor in early 2020 – “Sad to see my good friend @sajidjavid stepping back from politics. He’s been a champion of enterprise and opportunity during his time in government and on the back benches – particularly for the people of Broms grove,” wrote Sunak at the time. He ended his post (or tweet as it was known back then on December 2 just hours after Javid’s own resignation post) with the words, “May the Force be with you, Saj.” Both Sunak and Javid are Star Wars’ fans and the reference dates back to a joint visit to the cinema around a year back, with the boss – and the understudy – seeing one of the franchise films together.

Javid stepped down in February 2020, after losing a power struggle with prime minister Boris Johnson’s most trusted