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LONDON – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in serious 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 have faith in his leadership after a series of scandals, the latest related to an ally accused of sexual misconduct.
But Johnson has promised to stay.
Boris Johnson is fighting for political life amid massive resignations from his government
Johnson came to power with the promise of “getting Brexit.” He won a large parliamentary majority for his Conservative Party in the December 2019 general election. Sometimes, during his nearly three years at No. 10 Downing Street, as the office of the British Prime Minister is known, he was popular. among much of the public, and even more so within his party. But he has lost public confidence: in a new YouGov poll, 69 per cent of Britons said Johnson should resign and many members of his party agree.
So how did you 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 with a few minutes apart, expressing a lack of confidence in Johnson’s leadership.
They appear to have been overwhelmed by the latest scandal that engulfed Johnson and his government, which involved allegations that the prime minister promoted Chris Pincher, a political ally he knew had been accused of misconduct, to a position key to the government and then misinterpreted what he did. I knew it.
The resignation of a senior cabinet member is a major problem in British politics, and Sunak and Javid held especially important positions. Sunak, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, was essentially the British Minister of Finance, responsible for managing the cost-of-living crisis facing millions of Britons. Javid was the UK’s health and social care secretary, leading the response to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Both are seen as possible replacements for Johnson, and they had strong words for him in their resignation letters. Sunak said: “The public rightly expects the government to conduct itself properly, competently and seriously. I recognize that this may be my last ministerial job, but I think it is worth fighting for these rules and that is why I will resign.”
He also hinted that Johnson was unwilling to be honest with the public about the costs of stabilizing the British economy, which is facing rampant inflation.
In his own resignation letter, Javid wrote that while Johnson survived a censure vote last month, the Conservative Party no longer demonstrated competence or acted 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 also lost my confidence.”
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What is the Chris Pincher scandal?
In February, Johnson promoted Pincher, a Conservative legislator, to the post of deputy director of the House of Commons, a leadership role that involves keeping Conservative Party members ’vote in line with the government’s legislative agenda.
But Pincher last week resigned from the post amid a scandal, as the British press reported widely that he had allegedly tried to palpate several men while intoxicated at a bar. Pincher wrote in a letter to Johnson that he “drank too much” and that he “embarrassed me and others” at a meeting.
Pincher had been charged with misconduct at least twice before. He resigned from his post as a 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 key issue for Johnson focuses on what he knew and when. At first, Johnson’s official spokesman said the prime minister was unaware of previous incidents of Pincher’s alleged misconduct. Several cabinet ministers also spoke out in defense of Johnson, saying they had been assured he was unaware of the previous allegations.
Simon McDonald, the former head of the British diplomatic service, then posted a letter on Twitter accusing the government of deceiving the public, a move very unusual for a British official. “Mr. Johnson was briefed in person on the start and outcome of the investigation, “McDonald said.
Johnson’s office was forced to back down, saying the prime minister had been unable to recall the previous briefing. In a BBC interview on Tuesday, Johnson admitted that he was told about the 2019 indictment against Pincher and said he made a “bad mistake” in promoting him despite the complaints. “I’m sorry,” he said.
What other scandals has Johnson faced?
This is just the latest in a series of scandals he has faced, though it seems to be one of the biggest challenges for his leadership to date.
Johnson was criticized for his management of the coronavirus pandemic. A public inquiry concluded in October 2021 that the pandemic was “one of the most important public health failures the UK has ever experienced”.
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It was made worse by “Partygate,” a scandal stemming from a dozen government rallies on Downing Street when blockades and social distancing were established during the worst of the pandemic. In April, Johnson was fined by police, making him the first incumbent British Prime Minister to break the law, for attending a birthday party during the June 2020 confinement.
He has also faced accusations that he tried to get a job in government for his then-girlfriend Carrie Johnson (now his wife) when he was Secretary of State. And it has been criticized for a growing crisis in the cost of living in the UK
The Allies began to withdraw their support, with one condemning the “culture of accidental breach of the law” on Downing Street. Last month, he faced a censorship vote from his party, and while he survived, more than 40 percent of his Conservative colleagues voted against.
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 censorship vote. Current Conservative Party rules isolate him from new party challenges for a year. But there is a push for the Conservative Committee of Private Deputies in Parliament, informally known as the 1922 Committee, to change the rules. This would allow Johnson’s party colleagues to vote again, earlier, on whether to keep him as leader.
The committee met Wednesday and decided to suspend any changes until new members are elected next week. A new addition of anti-Johnson lawmakers committed to changing the rules could tip the scales.
In addition to the aftermath of the Pincher scandal, Johnson is still facing parliamentary investigation into whether he lied to lawmakers in the context of Partygate.
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Adela Suliman and Adam Taylor contributed to this report.