Boris Johnson Resigns As British Prime Minister

Following a widespread uprising by senior members of his own administration, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation on Thursday, capping off three turbulent years in which he shamelessly flouted and occasionally shattered British political conventions.

Months of resistance came to an end almost with a shrug as Johnson acknowledged that his party wanted him removed while standing outside No. 10 Downing Street.

A scandal concerning his selection of a legislator who had been accused of sexual misconduct brought down the arrogant 58-year-old politician who led Britain out of the European Union, through COVID-19, and the war in Ukraine.

Even the messiest prime minister did not depart without a mess. Johnson declared he would continue serving as prime minister until the Conservative Party chose his replacement, but he promptly resigned as leader of the party. The schedule for that procedure would be revealed the following week, he said.

However, a large portion of the party wants him gone before then, and his administration has been destroyed by numerous resignations.

Former health secretary Sajid Javid, former Treasury administrator Rishi Sunak, former foreign secretary Liz Truss, and former defence secretary Ben Wallace are among the potential successors.

Boris Johnson clung to power for days after the most recent scandal surfaced, fiercely asserting to lawmakers on Wednesday that he had received a “colossal mandate” from the people and was ready to resume his duties as president.

But on Thursday morning, he was forced to admit defeat after one of his closest supporters, recently appointed Treasury head Nadhim Zahawi, publicly urged him to leave for the benefit of the nation.

Johnson said, “In the last few days, I tried to persuade my colleagues that it would be eccentric to change governments when we’re delivering so much and when we have such a vast mandate.”

“I regret not to have been successful in those arguments, and of course, it’s painful not to be able to see through so many ideas and projects myself.’’

Over the past several days, some 50 Cabinet secretaries, ministers, and other lower-level officials have resigned from the government, frequently criticizing the prime minister for his lack of moral character.

Because there were no ministers available to represent the government, the mass resignations caused some parliamentary committees to be unable to conduct business.

Boris Johnson stated that it was now “clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party” for there to be a new party leader and, consequently, a new prime minister.

Zahawi, who was given a promotion earlier this week as Johnson tried to solidify his Cabinet, claimed that on Wednesday, he and a number of his colleagues privately expressed their concerns to the prime minister. However, after Johnson disregarded the suggestion to resign, Zahawi decided to go public.

In a letter shared on Twitter, Zahawi said that “the country deserves a government that is not only stable but which acts with integrity.”

Prime Minister: this is not sustainable and it will only get worse: for you, for the Conservative Party and most importantly of all the country. You must do the right thing and go now. pic.twitter.com/F2iKT1PhvC

— Nadhim Zahawi (@nadhimzahawi) July 7, 2022

Johnson suffered a humiliating loss since, in addition to orchestrating Brexit, he was also credited with launching one of the most effective mass vaccination campaigns ever launched to fight COVID-19.

But there were also claims that the constantly dishevelled, shaggy-haired leader, notorious for responding to his detractors with bombast and bluster, acted in a way that implied the law did not apply to him.

Despite claims that he was too close to party contributors, shielded supporters from intimidation and suspicions of corruption, and deceived Parliament about government office parties that violated COVID-19 lockdown rules, he was able to hold onto power.

Police punished him for the parties, and last month, he withstood a no-confidence motion in Parliament in which 41% of Conservative legislators sought to have him removed.

Theresa May resigned in July 2019 after the Parliament rejected the Brexit agreement she negotiated with the EU. Johnson took her place as prime minister. In a frequently disorderly and tumultuous discussion, Johnson forced his own Brexit agreement through.

He frequently resembled a schoolboy who had just rolled out of bed and ran to class in his pyjamas thanks to his mass of untamed blonde hair.

He displayed many of the same traits and propensities that would serve him well but also bring about his demise as he rose to power: He was a boisterous, attention-seeking mayor of London; a journalist who lost his job for fabricating a quote and publishing inflated reports about EU excesses; and a politician with a flair for flamboyant language and the thrust and parry of debate, developed at Eton and Oxford.

He gained notoriety for his casual attitude toward the truth as well as his crude and offensive marks. He compared Muslim women who cover their faces with veils to “letter boxes” and referred to people from Papua New Guinea as “cannibals.”

Recent revelations that Johnson was aware of claims of sexual misconduct against a Conservative MP before elevating him to a prominent government position proved to be one scandal too many.

The problem started when Chris Pincher quit his position as deputy chief whip after being accused of groping two men at a private club. This led to numerous publications concerning previous accusations made against Pincher.

Boris Johnson gave contradictory accounts of what he knew and when he knew it. That only served to reinforce the notion that the prime minister couldn’t be relied upon.

Minutes apart on Tuesday night, Javid and Sunak announced their resignations. This precipitated a wave of resignations among their Cabinet colleagues and lower-level officials and plunged the administration into disarray.

Javid claimed that Johnson’s actions posed a danger to the credibility of both the British government and the Conservative Party.

He declared in the House of Commons on Wednesday, “At some point, we have to conclude that enough is enough. “I believe that point is now.”

Many Britons were surprised by Johnson’s resignation in light of his numerous ethical transgressions and close calls with political disaster as well as the fact that he had previously survived so many controversies.

Himmat Dalyway, a 20-year-old investment trader outside a London Underground station, said: “It felt like he can just keep on going and keep on ignoring it, so I was a bit surprised this morning when saw it on my phone.” “Are you still 100% sure that he is going?”

The Conservatives must now determine whether they can stand Johnson as caretaker leader, a position that typically involves saying little or nothing. A leadership contest is now imminent. Boris Johnson is not the kind of person to go unnoticed.

“I suspect some of them will want him gone straight away. And to be honest, I think a lot of the public will want to see him gone straight away, according to Tim Bale, a politics professor at the Queen Mary University of London. They don’t want to see him loitering around Downing Street like a nasty stench, you know.

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