Mumbai: UK PM Boris Johnson has resigned after over 50 Members of Parliament resigned in protest at his leadership. Addressing the nation, Johnson said he was resigning as Britain’s prime minister, bowing to calls from ministerial colleagues and lawmakers in his Conservative Party.
Johnson said that he was elected with the biggest majority since 1987 and the biggest share of the vote since 1979. He is proud of what he has done, he says. He mentions Brexit and getting the country through the pandemic and delivering the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe. And Britain has led the way in supporting Ukraine.
Johnson’s decision starts a leadership battle for a new Tory leader who will become the new prime minister of Britain.
The 58-year-old will continue as the CM until the Conservative Party completes the process of electing a new leader by October when it is due to hold a conference.
Johnson’s resignation comes after days of high drama and a series of resignations from his cabinet since Tuesday. Johnson eventually agreed to leave soon after newly appointed chancellor Nadeem Javi to replace Rishi Sunak, publicly asked to “go now” in a letter to the PM.
Zahawi Iraqi-born minister, seen as Johnson’s successor, questioned the authority of his boss and demanded that he step down in a damaging letter that was in the public domain. The time has come for Johnson, the 55-year-old minister said.
“Prime minister, you know in your heart what the right thing to do is, and go now,” he stated.
So far, more than 40 ministers have resigned from Johnson’s government and have advised the PM to quit. Today, newly appointed Education Secretary Michelle Donelan and Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis became the latest cabinet ministers to resign.
Johnson was appointed as the Prime Minister of the UK in July 2019 after winning the Tory leadership competition. Five months later, the Conservative Party won the general election by a historic landslide.
However, Johnson’s government has been hit by a number of controversies in recent months, including a police probe into parties at Downing Street during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
The latest rebellion this week was a result of disclosures about PM Johnson’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations against former Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher.
Follow us on Twitter, Google News and Instagram, and like us on Facebook for the latest updates and exciting stories.
