Johnson is known for his uncanny ability to get out of tight spots, but a series of allegations of wrongdoing have pushed him over the edge, and some of his fellow conservative lawmakers now worry that the leader, famous for his gentleness , could be responsible. in the elections. Many also worry about the ability of a weakened Johnson, who narrowly survived a no-confidence vote last month, to govern at a time of growing economic and social pressure. At the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions session in Parliament on Wednesday, members of the opposition Labor Party chanted “Go!
It was contested by members of the party itself
Then, more damningly, members of his Conservative Party challenged the leader. Lawmaker Tim Loughton asked Johnson if there was anything that could prompt him to resign. “Frankly, the prime minister’s job in difficult circumstances, when he’s been given a colossal mandate, is to get on with it,” Johnson replied. His Conservative colleagues listened quietly, offering little support. Britain’s former health secretary Sajid Javid leaves his home in south-west London on Wednesday, a day after resigning. (Beresford Hodge/PA/The Associated Press) The roast was the first of two Wednesday challenges for the captain. He still has to go through a much-scheduled questioning by a panel of senior lawmakers later in the day. How he handles the tough questions could show whether a rebellion in his simmering Conservative Party can muster enough strength to oust him. Also on the horizon is a vote in a powerful party committee that could signal whether lawmakers have the appetite to push for another no-confidence measure. Months of discontent over Johnson’s judgment and ethics in the ruling Conservative Party erupted with the resignations of Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid within minutes of each other on Tuesday night. The two cabinet heavyweights were responsible for tackling two of the biggest issues facing Britain – the cost of living crisis and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Party needs ‘new direction’, says Javid
In a scathing letter, Sunak said, “the public rightly expects government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously. I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning.” Javid said the party needed “humility, restraint and a new direction” but “it is clear that this situation will not change under your leadership”. Aware of the need to boost confidence, Johnson quickly replaced the two ministers, promoting Nadhim Zahawi from the education department to head the Treasury and installing his chief of staff, Steve Barclay, as health secretary. But a series of resignations late Tuesday and early Wednesday by more junior ministers – from both the liberal and right wings of the Conservative Party – suggested the danger for Johnson was not over. In recent months, Johnson has been fined by police and criticized by an investigator’s report for ruling parties flouting the COVID-19 restrictions they imposed on others. saw 41 per cent of Tory MPs vote to oust in a vote of no confidence. and watched former loyal lieutenants urge him to resign. Through it all, he has vowed to continue to rule – even hinting that he wanted to stay in power until the 2030s.
“It’s a bit like the death of Rasputin”
But former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell was among several Conservative Party members who told Johnson his time was up. “It’s a bit like Rasputin’s death. He’s been poisoned, stabbed, shot, his body thrown into a frozen river and he’s still alive,” he told the BBC. “But he is an abnormal prime minister, an extremely charismatic, very funny, very entertaining, big, big character. But I’m afraid he has neither the character nor the temperament to be our prime minister.” The final straw for Sunak and Javid was the prime minister’s shifting explanations for his handling of sexual misconduct allegations against a senior Conservative MP. In this image taken from video of the House of Commons in London, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, foreground, listens to former health secretary Sajid Javid, top left. Johnson received little support from his party colleagues. (House of Commons/The Associated Press) Last week, Chris Pincher resigned as deputy leader of the Conservative Party following allegations that he molested two men at a private club. That sparked a series of reports about past complaints against Pincher and questions about what Johnson knew when he tapped Pincher for a top party discipline job. Johnson’s office initially said it was unaware of the prior charges when it promoted Pincher in February. As of Monday, a spokesperson said Johnson was aware of the allegations — but “they were either resolved or they did not proceed with a formal complaint.” When a former senior Foreign Office civil servant disputed this, saying Johnson had been briefed on a 2019 allegation that led to a formal complaint, Johnson’s office said the prime minister had forgotten a briefing on the matter.
The problem is “character and integrity,” says the former vice president
It was too much for ministers sent on radio and television to defend the government’s position, only to see it change. Bim Afolami, who resigned as Conservative Party vice-chairman on Tuesday, said he was willing to give Johnson the benefit of the doubt – until the Pincher affair. “The difficulty is not the government’s program as a whole. The government has done a lot of positive things that bring the Conservative Party together,” he said. “The problem is character and integrity in Downing Street and I think people in the Conservative Party and people in the country know that.” Johnson’s opponents in the party hope more ministers will quit. (Justin Tallis/The Associated Press) Paul Drexler, president of the International Chambers of Commerce, warned that rising food and energy prices are reaching crisis proportions and must be addressed by a leader who is not distracted. “I would say the most important thing we have to do is feed people who are hungry,” he told the BBC. “I mean, this is a burning platform right now. The poorest in our society are going to starve in the second half of this year. That has to be addressed.” Johnson’s party rivals hope more ministers will follow Sunak and Javid, although for now other top officials – including Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Priti Patel – are staying put . Opponents are also trying to force a new vote of no confidence in the prime minister. Existing rules require 12 months between such votes, but the rules are made by a party committee and can be changed. Elections for the executive committee of this committee are expected in the coming weeks.
