The resentment in his Conservative Party is enormous. Today is another uncomfortable appointment for the prime minister.
Demands for the resignation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson are getting louder. Several MPs from his Conservative Party and media such as the “Times” called on the head of government to resign from office.
Murrison: “For heaven’s sake get lost”
“My message to Boris would be, for heaven’s sake, go away,” Tory MP Andrew Murrison, who had previously resigned as Minister of State for Northern Ireland, told the BBC. The party’s former deputy general secretary, Bim Afolami, criticized Johnson’s handling of the latest scandal over allegations of harassment against a senior Tory as “really appalling”. He could no longer defend this behavior, Afolami, who also resigned, told the BBC.
“It’s time for Boris to go,” Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, one of Johnson’s harshest critics, told Sky News. “He can delay it for a few more hours if he wants. But I and a large part of the party are now determined that he has to be gone before the summer break: the sooner the better.”
Newspapers: Prime Minister “on the edge of the abyss”
Several newspapers headlined that Johnson was on the brink after almost three years in office. In its leading article, the conservative “Times” called on the prime minister to resign for the good of the country – “Game over”, the game is over. “Every day he stays in office increases the chaos,” according to The Times. “The Guardian” and the “Financial Times” also saw Johnson “on the brink,” while Johnson’s former employer wrote “The Daily Telegraph” that the prime minister was only “hanging by a thin thread.”
Opposition calls for new elections
The opposition immediately called for new elections. It is “clear that this government is now collapsing,” said opposition leader Keir Starmer of the Labor Party. “The Tory party is corrupt and just changing a man won’t fix anything.”
Both Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and Health Minister Sajid Javid resigned on Tuesday evening. Both linked this with accusations against the party and government leader that he was damaging the reputation of the conservatives.
More resignations with Quince, Trott and Walker
In the morning, Secretary of State for Education Will Quince, who had often defended Johnson, resigned, as did Rep. Laura Trott, who held a post at the Department of Transportation. Robin Walker, Minister of State for School Standards, also resigned – the latest in a series of resignations in protest at Johnson’s leadership.
Support from the new finance minister
And Johnson? Apparently he wants to continue to rule. The prime minister reacted immediately to the resignations of his ministers and has already closed the gaps in the cabinet again: Johnson made his previous chief of staff, Steve Barclay, health minister. He also appointed Nadhim Zahawi, the previous education minister, as the new finance minister. He defended Johnson. The head of government is of integrity and “determined to deliver,” Zahawi told Sky News. Johnson apologized for his behavior in the Pincher case, now it’s about moving the country forward. Zahawi is considered a possible successor to Johnson, but denied current ambitions.
Rather, he defended his work for the prime minister: “You don’t do this job to have an easy life. Every day you make tough decisions. Sometimes it’s easy to run away, but it’s much more difficult to deliver for this country.”
An apology that probably wasn’t enough
The trigger for the political quake was that Johnson heaved the Conservative MP Chris Pincher into an important group office – the so-called Vice Whip, responsible for ensuring group discipline – even though he was aware of allegations of sexual harassment. The ministerial resignations come minutes after Johnson apologized on Tuesday night for making Pincher Deputy Secretary of Parliament. Pincher resigned late last week. It became known that there had been allegations against him in the past.
A government spokesman initially denied that Johnson knew about the old allegations against Pincher. That line of defense collapsed on Tuesday after a senior former official said Johnson had been briefed on an incident in 2019. Opposition MPs and some Tories then accused the prime minister of lying.
Tough day for Johnson
Johnson faces a tough day today: he must first face the House of Commons’ weekly question and answer session. Then there is a questioning by the chairmen of the most important parliamentary committees, which also include important internal party critics of the prime minister. However, Johnson has weathered a number of scandals and affairs in recent years.
In mid-May, a member of parliament was temporarily arrested on suspicion of rape. Also in May, a former Tory MP was sentenced to a year and a half in prison for sexually abusing a minor. In addition, there is the scandal surrounding parties at the seat of government during the corona lockdown, which brought Prime Minister Johnson an internal party vote of no confidence. The prime minister barely survived the vote in early June.
