Boris Johnson will appear before British deputies this Wednesday to defend his continuation in office that hangs more and more by a thread, after an avalanche of resignations in protest against the legitimacy of the controversial prime minister, sifted by scandals.
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On Tuesday night, the ministers of Health, Sajid Javid, and Finance, Rishi Sunak, announced their respective resignations at almost the same time, in the wake of the incessant scandals surrounding Johnson and his executive.
They were followed by a dozen other lower-ranking members of the government, in a bloodletting that continued on Wednesday with four new resignations.
The secretary of state for children and families, Will Quince, said “he had no other choice” after broadcasting in the media information provided by Johnson’s office “which turned out to be inaccurate.”
The assistant to the secretary of state for transport, Laura Trott, considered that confidence in the government has been “lost”.
(Also: United Kingdom: two ministers resign in protest against Boris Johnson)
The public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously.
I recognize this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning.
My letter to the Prime Minister below. pic.twitter.com/vZ1APB1ik1
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) July 5, 2022
Secretary of State for Education Robin Walker lamented that the government’s “great achievements” have been “shadowed by mistakes and integrity issues”.
And the secretary of state for finances, John Glen, alleged a “complete lack of confidence” in Johnson by resigning.
Increasingly weakened, but clinging to his post, the prime minister appears in the morning at the weekly question session in Parliament and in the afternoon before the so-called “liaison committee”, made up of the presidents of the different parliamentary committees and in charge to examine the work of government.
Among them are some of his staunchest detractors within his Conservative Party.
The integrity of your government
The resignations of Javid and Sunak, two heavyweights of the executive and the party, took place hours after Johnson apologized for the umpteenth time, acknowledging that he made a “mistake” by appointing Chris Pincher, a conservative official, to an important parliamentary position. that last week he resigned for having touched, while intoxicated, two men, one of them a deputy.
Having claimed otherwise, Downing Street acknowledged on Tuesday that the prime minister had been informed of earlier allegations against Pincher in 2019 but had “forgotten” them.
The resignation of Sunak, 42 years old and of Indian origin, takes place in a difficult economic context, with the cost of living skyrocketing in the United Kingdom and with accusations against the executive of not doing enough to help families who cannot make ends meet
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The British expect the government to behave in a “competent” and “serious” manner, “this is why I am resigning,” Sunak wrote in his message to Johnson.
For his part, Javid, 52, of Pakistani origin, considered that the British need “integrity from their government.”
The scandals against him
Boris Johnson stands out for his talent to escape crises, but increasingly handcuffed by the rebellion in his Conservative Party and his government, he must show if he has a trick left to save his political career.
From the so-called “partygate”, the scandal over the parties organized in Downing Street that violated the anticovid rules in 2020 and 2021, to the irregular financing of the luxurious reform of his official residence, going through accusations of cronyism and finger designations, the scandals do not stop growing around his figure.
Champion of the legislative elections in December 2019, when he achieved the most important conservative majority in decades thanks to the promise of carrying out Brexit, the prime minister is now plummeting in the polls.
According to the polls, a majority of Britons consider him a “liar”.
(Read more: Boris Johnson will ‘move on’ after internal crisis in his party)
a majority of Britons consider him a liar
He is going to be investigated by a parliamentary commission to determine if he knowingly misled deputies when he denied holding parties during the lockdowns in December.
And the fact that he claimed to be unaware of the accusations against Pincher, when many claimed otherwise, and ended up acknowledging his “forgetfulness” reinforces the accusations that the prime minister is playing with the truth.
Recent electoral setbacks, the latest on June 23 in two midterm elections, are convincing a growing number of rebels within the Conservative Party that Johnson can no longer lead them to a new general election in 2024.
The prime minister survived a vote of confidence launched by rebels in early June in an attempt to remove him from power.
Supported by 211 of his 359 legislators, he saved the job, but the 148 votes against him made it clear that discontent among his ranks continues to grow.
The rules of the party establish that this procedure cannot be repeated during the next year, but many within it already demand a change to try again a maneuver against Johnson.
*With information from AFP
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