Inability to defend himself against a barrage of controversies, the majority of his government and party colleagues abandoned British Prime Minister Boris Johnson this week, and he resigned as the leader of the Conservative Party on Thursday.
On Thursday afternoon, Johnson spoke behind a podium in front of his official residence: “In politics, noone is indispensable. But the brilliant Darwinian system will find another leader.”
He added that he would govern the country until a new leader was chosen, which meant that the contest for the top party position would start to heat up soon before the Conservative Party conference in October.
“I’ve agreed with Sir Graham Brady, the head of our backbench MPs, that the selection process for that new leader should start now, and the timeline will be outlined next week,” Johnson added. Additionally, I have appointed a Cabinet today to work alongside me until a new leader is in place.
It is “obviously now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader and, therefore, a new prime minister,” the troubled politician insisted. He offered “as much support as I can” to this new leader.
When we are achieving so much and when we have such a broad mandate, changing governments would be absurd, Johnson claimed he tried to convince his colleagues.
He grieved that his arguments had not prevailed and that many of his ideas and projects had fallen through.
He claimed that Westminster, the location of the British government, rejected his case for remaining in power because of a “herd instinct.”
The British people were next acknowledged for “the immense privilege you have given me.” He claimed that up until a new prime minister took office, the public will be well taken care of.
“Running for prime minister is a form of education. Traveling throughout the UK, I have encountered several individuals with unlimited British inventiveness and a willingness to find fresh approaches to persistent issues. Even if things may occasionally appear bleak right now, our future together is bright,” he remarked.
Johnson expressed his grief about leaving the “greatest job in the world” by saying, “But those are the breaks.”
After years of disagreement, Johnson swept to power in December 2019 to organise Britain’s exit from the European Union.
But the epidemic of the next year set in motion a chain of circumstances that eventually resulted in his resignation. A damning report on the “Covid parties” made him exceedingly unpopular with the public and his party members, in addition to his attempts to cover up the sex scandals of his MPs.
According to the report, these gatherings—some of which took place at Downing Street—broke the rigorous lockdown regulations and featured excessive drinking and even puking. Johnson received a fine for going to one.
When it was discovered that his staff had partied in Downing Street on the night of the Queen’s husband’s funeral in April 2021, he also had to apologise to her.
This week, after a string of slip-ups, congressman Chris Pincher was forced to resign due to claims that he touched guys in a private club. Despite being aware of Pinch’s history of sexual misconduct, Johnson nevertheless chose to hire him in February for a critical position.
Nearly 50 ministers, including recently appointed ones, resigned in the previous two days, calling for Johnson’s dismissal.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
