https://sputnikglobe.com/20220707/boris-johnson-delivers-speech-at-downing-street-amid-resignation-expectations-1097062463.html
Boris Johnson Quits as Conservative Party Leader & Prime Minister
Boris Johnson Quits as Conservative Party Leader & Prime Minister
Sputnik International
From “partygate” to sleaze scandals, Boris Johnson's government has been constantly under fire for allegedly flying in the face of rules and propriety... 07.07.2022, Sputnik International
2022-07-07T11:31+0000
2022-07-07T11:31+0000
2022-07-07T15:37+0000
us
boris johnson
uk conservative party
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Boris Johnson has announced that he is resigning as Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister.Johnson continued by thanking those who voted Conservative in the last General Election, saying:"To [the] new leader... I say I will give you as much support as I can. And to you, the British public. I know that there will be many people who are relieved and perhaps quite a few who will also be disappointed. And I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world. But them's the breaks," said Johnson.He confirmed he will serve as Prime Minister "until a new leader is in place".Johnson’s rocky tenure at No 10 has come to an end. The "botched" handling of sexual misconduct allegations against former Tory deputy chief whip, Christopher Pincher, became the scandal that pulled the plug on Johnson’s premiership.The events leading up to Johnson’s resignation were set in motion by shock departures of his Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Tuesday.Johnson’s two most senior ministers sent in their letters of resignation minutes after the Prime Minister gave an interview admitting he should not have appointed Pincher as deputy chief whip in February having known about his predatory sexual behavior.Initially, No 10 claimed that Johnson knew nothing of the Tamworth MP's reputation after Pincher was accused of groping two men at a private members' club last week, prompting a slew of revelations about his previous conduct.After Javid and Sunak left, over the next 24 hours dozens followed, triggering speculation of an imminent challenge to Johnson’s premiership.The British Prime Minister faced a grilling at Wednesday’s PMQs, where Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, read out allegations against Pincher in a "reminder to all those propping up this PM how serious this situation is".‘Final Ultimatum’On Wednesday, reports surfaced to the effect that a delegation of cabinet ministers had gone to Downing Street to tell the PM to resign.Reportedly including Home Secretary Priti Patel, freshly appointed Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, and others, the group was said to have delivered a "final ultimatum" to Johnson, adding "you go or we do", according to Sky News.In response, Johnson reportedly adopted a defiant mood, according to sources cited by UK media outlets.‘Sleaze’ & Scandal-Mired TenureAs reports came in Thursday that Boris Johnson had agreed to resign as Conservative leader but would continue as Prime Minister until the autumn, it became clear that the present scandal to rock No 10 was likely to become historically the most damning for the PM.Downing Street’s "bungled" handling of disgraced former Tory deputy chief whip Christopher Pincher groping claims is definitely not the first row to plunge Johnson’s government into the mire. No 10 has been forced to battle a consistent barrage of allegations.‘Botched Prorogation’Since the beginning of Johnson's latest stint as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom - which began on 24 July 2019 - his critics have often accused him of disrespecting governmental procedure and “bending rules” whenever it suited him. This was the case when he asked the Queen to prorogue Parliament in August 2019 for five weeks at the height of a political crisis over Brexit. The length of the prorogation - a formal mechanism to end a session of parliament – was ostensibly to narrow options of rebel MPs hoping to pass anti-no-deal Brexit legislation.The monarch rubber-stamped the request acting on Johnson’s advice, which was later ruled to be unlawful by the Supreme Court of the UK, and the order was quashed. The ruling prompted accusations that Johnson's government had deliberately misled the Queen as part of its strategy to secure Brexit.Adopting a contrite stance, Johnson personally apologized for embarrassing the monarch, according to the Sunday Times.Patel ‘Bullying’Yet another example of Johnson's stance on parliamentary rules and standards was his decision to back his Home Secretary, Priti Patel, after an investigation into allegations that she bullied staff.A probe had been launched in March 2020, after the resignation of top civil servant at the Home Office, Sir Philip Rutnam, who alleged staff felt Patel had "created fear". The inquiry found that Patel breached the Ministerial Code and did not "treat her civil servants with consideration and respect" committing "behavior that can be described as bullying". Boris Johnson's adviser on the ministerial code, Sir Alex Allan, resigned after the PM rejected his findings, saying he did not think Patel was a bully and had "full confidence" in herFlat RefurbishmentIn 2021, data obtained from correspondence between Johnson and a Tory peer, David Brownlow, who financed the now-notorious refurbishment of his flat at No 11 Downing Street, led to fresh accusations of corruption being leveled against the PM.WhatsApp messages revealed that Johnson had asked the donor for funds on work that reportedly cost around £200,000 ($280,000). Johnson did not declare the donations in the register of interests and as a result, the Conservative Party was fined £17,800 by the Electoral Commission in December last year.Paterson Lobbying ScandalLast year, Johnson was slammed for trying to force Conservative MPs to vote in favor of overturning the suspension of fellow Tory MP - Owen Paterson.The former cabinet minister had been facing a 30-day suspension amid claims he committed an "egregious" breach of lobbying rules. It was only the backlash that prompted Johnson to U-turn on the proposed decision, with Paterson quitting as an MP. At the subsequent by-election in December, the Liberal Democrats swooped in to claim Paterson's seat of North Shropshire - previously a safe Tory seat.‘Partygate’The row over “partygate” initially appeared to be the one that might be the most damaging for Johnson.The PM had faced months of damaging revelations of alcohol-fueled parties at Downing Street in 2020 -21 in defiance of strict COVID-19 lockdown rules brought in by his government. A report published in May by senior civil servant Sue Gray stated that many of the gatherings should not have been allowed to take place, and urged senior leadership to “bear responsibility for this culture of rule-breaking".Johnson himself was issued with a fine by London's Metropolitan Police for attending one such gathering, which he claimed he believed was a work event.Johnson's handling of the scandal triggered numerous calls from the opposition and rebel Tories for the PM to step down.However, the Prime Minister managed to scrape through his MPs’ vote of no confidence on 6 June, but 148 of his Tories - 41 per cent of the total - refused to back him. This granted him 12 months' immunity from another leadership challenge.Johnson was also dealt a double blow after the Conservatives lost the Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton by elections on 23 June, prompting the party co-chairman Oliver Dowden to resign. Labour claimed Wakefield, and the Liberal Democrats snatched Tiverton and Honiton.Tory rebels had set their hopes on tweaking party rules to allow an earlier challenge to Johnson’s leadership by securing key posts on the 1922 Committee in charge of leadership contests. The committee had been about to decide whether it should change the rules to allow a fresh vote of no confidence in Johnson, but the PM’s resignation put paid to that.
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us, boris johnson, uk conservative party
us, boris johnson, uk conservative party
Boris Johnson Quits as Conservative Party Leader & Prime Minister
11:31 GMT 07.07.2022 (Updated: 15:37 GMT 07.07.2022) From “partygate” to sleaze scandals, Boris Johnson's government has been constantly under fire for allegedly flying in the face of rules and propriety. However, Johnson’s handling of sexual misconduct claims involving Christopher Pincher proved to be a bridge too far for his colleagues.
Boris Johnson has announced that he is resigning as Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister.
"It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary conservative party that there should be a new leader of that party and so a new prime minister. I've agreed with [1922 Committee chairman] Sir Graham Brady... that the process of choosing that new leader should begin now," Johnson said in a statement outside Number 10 Downing Street.
Johnson continued by thanking those who voted Conservative in the last General Election, saying:
"The reason I have fought so hard over the past few days to continue to deliver that mandate in person was not just because I wanted to do so, but because I felt it was my job, my duty, my obligation to you."
"To [the] new leader... I say I will give you as much support as I can. And to you, the British public. I know that there will be many people who are relieved and perhaps quite a few who will also be disappointed. And I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world. But them's the breaks," said Johnson.
He confirmed he will serve as Prime Minister "until a new leader is in place".
Johnson’s rocky tenure at No 10 has come to an end. The "botched" handling of sexual misconduct allegations against former Tory deputy chief whip, Christopher Pincher, became the scandal that pulled the plug on Johnson’s premiership.
The events leading up to Johnson’s resignation were set in motion by
shock departures of his Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Tuesday.
Johnson’s two most senior ministers sent in their letters of resignation minutes after the Prime Minister gave an interview admitting he should not have appointed Pincher as deputy chief whip in February having known about his predatory sexual behavior.
Initially, No 10 claimed that Johnson knew nothing of the Tamworth MP's reputation after Pincher was accused of groping two men at a private members' club last week, prompting a slew of revelations about his previous conduct.
After Javid and Sunak left, over the next 24 hours dozens followed, triggering speculation of an imminent challenge to Johnson’s premiership.
The British Prime Minister faced a grilling at Wednesday’s PMQs, where Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, read out allegations against Pincher in a "reminder to all those propping up this PM how serious this situation is".
On Wednesday,
reports surfaced to the effect that a delegation of cabinet ministers had gone to Downing Street to tell the PM to resign.
Reportedly including Home Secretary Priti Patel, freshly appointed Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, and others, the group was said to have delivered a "final ultimatum" to Johnson, adding "you go or we do", according to Sky News.
In response, Johnson reportedly adopted a defiant mood, according to sources cited by UK media outlets.
‘Sleaze’ & Scandal-Mired Tenure
As reports came in Thursday that Boris Johnson had agreed to resign as Conservative leader but would continue as Prime Minister until the autumn, it became clear that the present scandal to rock No 10 was likely to become historically the most damning for the PM.
Downing Street’s "bungled" handling of disgraced former Tory deputy chief whip Christopher Pincher groping claims is definitely not the first row to plunge Johnson’s government into the mire. No 10 has been forced to battle a consistent barrage of allegations.
Since the beginning of Johnson's latest stint as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom - which began on 24 July 2019 - his critics have often accused him of
disrespecting governmental procedure and “bending rules” whenever it suited him. This was the case when he asked the Queen to prorogue Parliament in August 2019 for five weeks at the height of a political crisis over Brexit. The length of the prorogation - a formal mechanism to end a session of parliament – was ostensibly to narrow options of rebel MPs hoping to pass anti-no-deal Brexit legislation.
The monarch rubber-stamped the request acting on Johnson’s advice, which was later ruled to be unlawful by the Supreme Court of the UK, and the order was quashed. The ruling prompted accusations that Johnson's government had deliberately misled the Queen as part of its strategy to secure Brexit.
Adopting a contrite stance, Johnson personally apologized for embarrassing the monarch, according to the Sunday Times.
Yet another example of Johnson's stance on parliamentary rules and standards was his decision to back his Home Secretary,
Priti Patel, after an investigation into allegations that she bullied staff.
6 December 2021, 17:24 GMT
A probe had been launched in March 2020, after the resignation of top civil servant at the Home Office, Sir Philip Rutnam, who alleged staff felt Patel had "created fear". The inquiry found that Patel breached the Ministerial Code and did not "treat her civil servants with consideration and respect" committing "behavior that can be described as bullying". Boris Johnson's adviser on the ministerial code, Sir Alex Allan, resigned after the PM rejected his findings, saying he did not think Patel was a bully and had "full confidence" in her
In 2021, data obtained from correspondence between Johnson and a Tory peer, David Brownlow, who financed the now-notorious
refurbishment of his flat at No 11 Downing Street, led to fresh accusations of corruption being leveled against the PM.
8 January 2022, 11:36 GMT
WhatsApp messages revealed that Johnson had asked the donor for funds on work that reportedly cost around £200,000 ($280,000). Johnson did not declare the donations in the register of interests and as a result, the Conservative Party was fined £17,800 by the Electoral Commission in December last year.
Paterson Lobbying Scandal
Last year, Johnson was slammed for trying to force Conservative MPs to vote in favor of overturning the suspension of fellow Tory MP - Owen Paterson.
The former cabinet minister had been facing a 30-day suspension amid claims he committed an "egregious" breach of lobbying rules. It was only the backlash that prompted Johnson to U-turn on the proposed decision, with Paterson quitting as an MP. At the subsequent by-election in December, the Liberal Democrats swooped in to claim Paterson's seat of North Shropshire - previously a safe Tory seat.
The row over
“partygate” initially appeared to be the one that might be the most damaging for Johnson.
The PM had faced months of damaging revelations of alcohol-fueled parties at Downing Street in 2020 -21 in defiance of strict COVID-19 lockdown rules brought in by his government. A report published in May by senior civil servant Sue Gray stated that many of the gatherings should not have been allowed to take place, and urged senior leadership to “bear responsibility for this culture of rule-breaking".
Johnson himself was issued with a fine by London's Metropolitan Police for attending one such gathering, which he claimed he believed was a work event.
Johnson's handling of the scandal triggered numerous calls from the opposition and rebel Tories for the PM to step down.
However, the Prime Minister managed to scrape through his MPs’ vote of no confidence on 6 June, but 148 of his Tories - 41 per cent of the total - refused to back him. This granted him 12 months' immunity from another leadership challenge.
Johnson was also dealt a double blow after the Conservatives lost the
Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton by elections on 23 June, prompting the party co-chairman Oliver Dowden to resign. Labour claimed Wakefield, and the Liberal Democrats snatched Tiverton and Honiton.
Tory rebels had set their hopes on tweaking party rules to allow an earlier challenge to Johnson’s leadership by securing key posts on the 1922 Committee in charge of
leadership contests. The committee had been about to decide whether it should change the rules to allow a fresh vote of no confidence in Johnson, but the PM’s resignation put paid to that.
