Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in the center; Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on the right; and Sajid Javid, health secretary, in April. Credit … Photo of Frank Augstein’s pool
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was fighting for his political survival Tuesday night after the bombings resigned from two of his top cabinet officials. The resignations appeared to be a coordinated move against the Conservative Party leader amid the latest in a long series of scandals.
Rishi Sunak, the chancellor of the Treasury, and Sajid Javid, the health secretary, resigned from a new scandal that again raised questions about the trial and honesty of Mr. Johnson.
The latest crisis focuses on a Conservative lawmaker who was Johnson’s government minister, Chris Pincher. Last week, Mr. Pincher left his post in government after a night of intoxication during which he is accused of touching two men. It was later verified that there had been similar previous allegations against him.
For days, the government insisted that Mr. Johnson was unaware of any prior charges when he appointed Mr. Pincher.
Then, on Monday, Downing Street acknowledged that the prime minister had heard an indictment, from the days of Mr. Pincher at the Foreign Ministry, but said there had been no formal complaint against him. It was then revealed that, in fact, there had been a formal complaint, and it was reported that Mr. Johnson was wise.
On Tuesday, former senior Foreign Ministry official Sir Simon McDonald publicly accused the government of repeatedly distorting the truth.
Mr. Johnson apologized Tuesday for naming Mr. Pincher, saying he “laments bitterly.” The resignations of Mr. Sunak and Mr. Javid arrived shortly afterwards, and pushed Mr. Johnson in what could be the most dangerous position of his three-year term as prime minister.
Just a month ago, after a series of unrelated scandals, he survived a censorship vote by his fellow Conservative lawmakers, but the margin of breath he gave her is rapidly dwindling.
Because Mr. Johnson survived that vote, Conservative members of Parliament cannot convene another one for a year, unless party rules are changed. This means that pressure to resign from his own government, including cabinet resignations such as those on Tuesday, could be the only effective method of forcing him to leave.
Mr. Johnson acted quickly to try to mitigate the impact of the resignations, appointing Steve Barclay, who has held various government positions, to replace Mr. Javid as health secretary.
The fate of Mr. Johnson may depend on whether other members of his cabinet are by his side. Although several high-level ministers are known to be loyal to the prime minister, there were doubts about some others, and their words and actions will be closely watched.
Whether the cabinet remains loyal or not, Mr. Johnson faces a difficult battle to restore his battered authority. Even before Tuesday’s resignations, Conservative lawmakers speculated about changing party rules to allow a new vote of censure ahead of the summer holidays.
So far, Mr. Johnson has rejected calls for his resignation.
In a BBC interview on Tuesday, he acknowledged that it had been “a mistake” to turn Mr Pincher into a deputy in the face of previous complaints about his conduct. “In retrospect, that’s what needs to be done, and I apologize to everyone who has been severely affected by this,” Mr. Johnson.
The story echoes the revelation of alcohol-fueled parties on Downing Street that violated the government’s own Covid blockade rules. Mr. Johnson and his allies responded with denials, changing stories, and finally apologies and promises of better behavior.
Mr. Javid, in his resignation statement, said he “could no longer, in good conscience, continue to serve in this government.”
In his own statement, Mr. 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.”
– Stephen Castle and Megan Specia