Following a coup in his Conservative Party, Boris Johnson resigned and declared in a speech to the nation that the selection of a new prime minister “should begin now.”
According to Johnson, the parliamentary Conservative Party has made it clear that it wants a new prime minister and a new leader for the party.
The schedule will be revealed next week, he continued, adding that the new head’s selection process should start immediately.
Johnson, who took office as prime minister almost three years ago, has recently been embroiled in several scandals that have led even his staunchest fans to turn against him.
Since Tuesday, nearly 60 government members, including five cabinet ministers, have resigned in protest at how Chris Pincher, Johnson’s former deputy chief whip who was charged with groping two men last week, handled his departure.
Despite an extraordinary exodus of middle-ranking ministers from the administration, a beating at Prime Minister’s Questions, and a harsh appearance before a committee of senior MPs in Parliament, Johnson originally tried to ride out the crisis. But, instead, he continued to declare on Wednesday that he would not step down.
However, Johnson eventually caved on Thursday after hearing from some of his most devoted allies that the game was over.
Johnson’s decision to quit was hailed as “excellent news for the country” by opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, who also noted that “it should have happened long ago.”
Johnson has resigned as the head of the Conservative Party, but it’s likely that he will continue serving as prime minister until the party’s annual conference in October.
Traditionally, when a Conservative leader steps down, the party has time to organize an extensive leadership election.
Boris Johnson should leave office sooner, however, according to some.
Johnson’s resignation will be a significant turning point for a prime minister who was previously regarded as possessing superpowers and having appeal across traditional party lines.
On the promise of negotiating a Brexit deal and guiding the UK to a successful future outside of the European Union, he won a resounding win in December 2019. However, the Covid-19 pandemic’s consequences led to the collapse of his premiership.
The Prime Minister has recently been the target of a barrage of criticism from all quarters about his behavior and that of some members of his government, including illegal parties held in his Downing Street offices that broke the Covid-19 lockdown and for which he and others were fined.
Numerous other scandals have also impacted his popularity in the polls. These include claims that he improperly used donor funds to pay for renovations to his Downing Street residence and instructed MPs to vote in a way that would shield a colleague who had broken lobbying laws.
The ultimate number of his MPs who revolted against him was larger than his supporters anticipated: 41% of his party members refused to support him. Nevertheless, last month, he survived a confidence vote among members of his own party.
When his party lost two parliamentary by-elections in a single night late last month, it dealt him another setback and renewed criticism of his leadership.
