In British politics, Johnson is known for being a divisive personality. His defenders have described him as witty and amusing. He even appealed to voters outside of the typical conservative base.
However, those who disagree with him characterise his form of politics as opportunistic, populist, and pragmatic. They also accuse him of being immoral, bigoted, and elitist.
Boris Johnson made the announcement of his intention to step down as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on July 7, 2022, in advance of a party leadership contest.
This announcement is part of the 2022 U.K. Government Crisis, which saw the mass resignation of hundreds of government officials, including government ministers, parliamentary secretaries, and trade envoys. This announcement is part of the 2022 U.K. Government Crisis.
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Who Is Boris Johnson?
The oldest of Stanley Johnson and Charlotte Johnson Wahl’s four children, Boris Johnson was born Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson on June 19, 1964, in New York City, USA. Both American and British citizenship were bestowed upon Boris at birth. He was a young child when the family relocated to the UK.
Conservative politician from Britain is named Boris Johnson. In July 2019, he took office as British prime minister. From 2008 until 2016, he presided as mayor of London. From 2001 until 2008, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Henley. As of 2015, he has been the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
From 2016 to 2018, he also held the position of foreign secretary. Johnson is a well-known journalist and historian who belongs to the “Conservative Party.” His English parents sent him back to the UK when he was a little child after being born in New York City.
The young boy was brought up to be competitive from an early age since his parents admired high achievers. He was a good student who received a “King’s Scholarship” to attend the elite “Eton College” before going on to study Classics at “Balliol College,” Oxford.
With “The Times,” he launched his career as a journalist, where he enjoyed great success. From 1999 until 2005, he served as the editor of “The Spectator.” He was elected to the House of Commons as the MP for Henley in 2001 and had a strong interest in politics in addition to journalism.
Later, he served on the opposition front bench as the shadow minister for higher education before moving on to become the minister for culture, communications, and creative industries. His enigmatic demeanor has led to him being viewed as a controversial figure in British politics. In the political world, Johnson has his fair share of supporters and opponents.
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Why Did Boris Johnson Resign?
Following a slew of controversies that have dogged his office for years, Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated on Thursday that it was “clearly the will” of the Conservative Party for him to resign from his position.
Johnson, who survived a vote of no confidence just one month prior for a COVID-related scandal known as “Partygate,” found himself in the spotlight once again this week after an unprecedented number of cabinet ministers and party leaders quit in protest of his leadership.
Following the sexual misconduct incident involving his former Tory Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher, members of the controversial prime minister’s party started to demand his resignation. After being accused by two men of groping them intoxicatedly at a Conservative function the previous evening, Pincher, who was nominated by Johnson in February, resigned on June 30.
According to the BBC, the party whip said after the incident that he “drank much too much” and had “embarrassed myself and other people.” Following his resignation, Pincher was supported by Downing Street, who said that he had admitted his wrongdoing and would keep his position in Parliament. However, he was expelled from the Conservative Party and now must run as an Independent.
The situation changed in Johnson’s favour after a No. 10 official asserted that the prime minister was not aware of any additional claims of impropriety. Later, reports said Johnson was informed of a complaint made against Pincher involving “inappropriate behaviour” while he served as the Foreign Office minister from 2019 to 2020.
According to the BBC, a disciplinary investigation into the case led to the confirmation of the charges made against Pincher. Johnson and his then-foreign secretary Dominic Raab were subsequently told of the findings. As a result, Downing Street changed its stance and said that the prime minister was aware of the media reports on the charges, but that they had been “either settled or did not escalate to a formal complaint.”
“It was ultimately resolved in some way. These problems frequently go unreported, “told the BBC, a spokesman. On Tuesday, former senior Foreign Office employee Sir Simon McDonald disclosed that Johnson had been personally informed on the charges in addition to being made aware of them.
Then the prime minister was said to have forgotten about the situation before appointing Pincher to the top position, according to Downing Street.
Although Johnson later acknowledged that Pincher’s selection had been a “poor blunder,” the harm had already been done. Rishi Sunak, the finance minister, and Sajid Javid, the health secretary, two of the U.K.’s most senior cabinet members, resigned in protest on Tuesday.
After Johnson appeared to refuse to resign on Wednesday, a wave of more than 40 members of Parliament and their assistants, along with a few additional cabinet members, submitted their resignations.
The defiant prime minister finally gave in to mounting pressure to step down after one of his closest allies, Treasury Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, announced his resignation officially on Thursday after just 48 hours on the job and urged Johnson to do the same for the good of the nation.
Johnson is anticipated to serve as party leader until a new one can be chosen; this procedure is anticipated to happen throughout the summer.
What Happens Next?
Traditionally, there are several candidates that put themselves forward for the position of new Conservative Party leader, and the field is then narrowed down by a series of votes among the current members of parliament.
Voting for the future leader of the wider Conservative Party takes place when there are only two contenders left. It would normally take many months to select a new leader in this manner. The country, which is dealing with a number of difficulties such as rising inflation and gasoline prices, would suffer, according to critics, if Johnson remained prime minister for that length of time.
They contend that Johnson has to go far more quickly, maybe with Dominic Raab as his deputy. The 1922 Committee, a group of Conservative parliamentary members, sets the criteria for electing a new party leader. They will convene on July 11 to consider whether they should alter the regulations to quicken the procedure. General elections have also been called by the opposition Labor Party in Britain.
Labor leader Kier Starmer issued a warning that his party would demand a vote of no confidence in Johnson’s government if he did not resign from his position immediately. This could happen as soon as next week. Nevertheless, because they still control the government, the Conservatives could and probably would oppose that action.
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