Comment LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in deep trouble — again — with more than 40 members of his government resigning in the past two days. Ministers and aides, including senior members of his cabinet, say they no longer trust his leadership after a series of scandals, the latest involving an ally accused of sexual misconduct. But Johnson has vowed to stay. Boris Johnson fights for political life amid mass government resignations Johnson came to power on a promise to “get Brexit done”. He secured a huge parliamentary majority for his Conservative Party in the December 2019 general election. At times during his nearly three years at 10 Downing Street, as the British Prime Minister’s office is known, he was popular with much of the public and even more popular in his party. But he has lost public trust: In a new YouGov poll, 69% of Britons said Johnson should resign, and many in his own party agreed. So how did it get here? Here’s what you need to know.
Who are Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid — and why do their resignations matter? Senior cabinet ministers Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid resigned on Tuesday within minutes of each other, expressing a lack of confidence in Johnson’s leadership. They appeared to be reeling from the latest scandal to hit Johnson and his government – involving allegations that the prime minister promoted Chris Pincher, a political ally he knew had been accused of misconduct, to a key government post and then mischaracterized what he knew. The resignation of a senior cabinet member is a big deal in British politics, and Sunak and Javid have been in particularly high-profile positions. Sunak, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, was effectively Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, responsible for managing the cost-of-living crisis facing millions of Britons. Javid was Britain’s health and social care secretary, leading the response to the coronavirus pandemic. Who would replace Boris Johnson? Here are some of the contenders. Both are seen as potential replacements for Johnson and had strong words for him in their resignation letters. Sunak said: “The public rightly expects the government to behave properly, competently and seriously. I recognize that this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for, and that is why I am stepping down.” He also hinted that Johnson was unwilling to be honest with the public about the cost of stabilizing Britain’s economy, which is facing dramatic inflation. In his own resignation letter, Javid wrote that although Johnson survived a no-confidence vote last month, the Conservative Party was no longer competent or acting in the national interest. “It is clear to me that this situation will not change under your leadership,” he wrote to Johnson, “and therefore you have lost my confidence.” Boris Johnson’s latest scandal prompts top ministers to resign
What is the Chris Pincher scandal? In February, Johnson promoted Pincher, a Conservative lawmaker, to the post of deputy leader in the House of Commons, a leadership role that involves keeping Conservative Party members voting along the government’s legislative agenda. But Pincher resigned last week amid a scandal, with the British press widely reporting that he had allegedly tried to grope several men while drunk in a bar. Pincher wrote in a letter to Johnson that he “drank too much” and “embarrassed myself and other people” at a gathering. Pincher has been accused of misconduct at least twice before. He resigned as government whip in 2017 after a Conservative Party activist accused him of making unwanted advances towards him. And in 2019, after Johnson brought Pincher back into government, Pincher was again accused of similar misconduct. But the main problem for Johnson centers on what he knew and when. Initially, Johnson’s official spokesman said the prime minister was not aware of any previous incidents of alleged misconduct by Pincher. Several cabinet ministers also spoke out in defense of Johnson, saying they had been assured he was unaware of the earlier allegations. Then Simon McDonald, the former head of Britain’s diplomatic service, published a letter on Twitter accusing the government of misleading the public – a highly unusual move for a British civil servant. “Mr. Johnson has been personally informed of the initiation and outcome of the investigation,” MacDonald said. Johnson’s office was then forced to backtrack, saying the prime minister could not remember the briefing earlier. In an interview with the BBC on Tuesday, Johnson admitted he had been told about the 2019 allegation against Pincher and said he had made a “bad mistake” promoting him despite the allegations. “I’m sorry about that,” he said.
What other scandals has Johnson faced? This is just the latest in a series of scandals he has faced — though it appears to be one of the biggest challenges to his leadership so far. Johnson has been criticized for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. A public inquiry concluded in October 2021 that the pandemic was “one of the most significant public health failures the UK has ever experienced”. The British government’s early response to the pandemic was a historic public health failure, lawmakers say It was exacerbated by “Partygate” – a scandal that emerged from a dozen high-profile government gatherings in Downing Street when lockdowns and social distancing were in place during the worst of the pandemic. In April, Johnson was fined by police – making him the first sitting British prime minister to be found breaking the law – for attending a birthday party during the lockdown in June 2020. He has also faced accusations that he tried to secure a government job for his then-girlfriend Carrie Johnson (now his wife) when she was secretary of state. And it has been criticized for a growing cost of living crisis in the UK The Allies began to withdraw their support, with one condemning the “culture of casual law-breaking” in Downing Street. Last month, he faced a vote of no confidence in his party — and while he survived, more than 40 percent of his Conservative colleagues voted against him. Johnson said he has no plans to resign. But he is under intense pressure from the remaining members of his cabinet to resign. It also faces the prospect of another vote of no confidence. Current Conservative Party rules insulate him from further party challenges for a year. But there is a push for the Conservative Private Members’ Committee in Parliament, informally known as the 1922 Committee, to change the rules. That would allow Johnson’s party colleagues to vote again, earlier, on whether to keep him as their leader. The committee met on Wednesday and decided to put any changes on hold until new members are elected next week. A new intake of lawmakers who oppose Johnson and pledge to change the rules could tip the balance. In addition to the fallout from the Pincher scandal, Johnson still faces a parliamentary inquiry into whether he lied to lawmakers over Partygate. UK to investigate whether Boris Johnson lied about lockdown parties Adela Suliman and Adam Taylor contributed to this report.
