It eventually became too much: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is about to resign, which he plans to announce in a speech to the nation. He plans to step down as party leader with immediate effect and remain as prime minister until October. Despite numerous scandals, he had tried to remain in office until the very end. The revolt of his own ministers eventually broke his political neck.
Johnson became Conservative leader and Prime Minister in 2019, succeeding Theresa May. Initially he was popular, but criticism for his chaotic style of government grew louder. There have been multiple calls for his resignation against the politician in recent years because he was involved in numerous scandals.
Renovation apartment: For example, in early April 2021, Johnson came under pressure for the luxurious renovation of his Downing Street flat. The prime minister assured that he “personally” paid for the work. But it later turned out that the renovation had been largely paid for with money from a private donation to his Conservative Party – the Tories. The donation was not properly declared and Johnson’s party had to pay a fine.
Lobby store: In December 2021, Conservative MP Owen Paterson was forced to resign over a lobbying affair. Johnson became involved in the affair in early November and tried to stop the disciplinary proceedings against his party colleague. However, given the outrage in his own ranks, he had to withdraw.
Lockdown parties: Johnson has been criticized for the Partygate affair over the past year. Britain’s “Guardian” published a photo of the head of government celebrating a garden party with dozens of guests at government headquarters during the lockdown in May 2020. Johnson admitted in January that he participated and apologized to London’s parliament.
At the same time, he claimed he assumed it was a work meeting. He was there for about 25 minutes to thank employees. In retrospect, he should have sent everyone back, Johnson said.
Sexual Harassment: The current wave of resignations in the British government finally broke Johnson’s political neck. The trigger was allegations of sexual harassment against MP Christopher Pincher. He was suspended by the Conservatives last Friday after tendering his resignation as deputy parliamentary secretary to the Tories. Johnson would have been aware of the sexual misconduct and promoted Pincher anyway.
On Tuesday, the prime minister apologized for his handling of the case. Earlier, a former senior State Department official accused Johnson’s office of lying about not knowing about the complaints.
lost support: Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and Health Minister Sajid Javid resigned on the same day. They deny Johnson’s ability to run a government that adheres to the norms. Several state secretaries also resigned or announced their departure. A trade representative and a vice chairman of Johnson’s Tories also resigned.
Support for the prime minister continued to wane and more resignations followed on Wednesday and Friday.
After he won a confidence vote from his group at the beginning of June, distrust now prevails. If Johnson remains prime minister until the fall, he will at least serve longer than Theresa May, whom he himself had resigned.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
