This week will be remembered as one of the blackest in the institutional history of the United Kingdom on account of the blunders of his prime minister, Boris Johnson with the so-called Partygate, and the outrages of prince andrew, the spoiled son of Queen Elizabeth II.
(Read here: Two new scandals in Downing Street continue to sink Boris Johnson)
Both have not only called into question the prestigious image of British rectitude, but have also brought the end of the Conservative government closer.
(Also: Queen Elizabeth withdraws military titles from Prince Andrew for sexual controversy)
In the case of Prince Andrew, the monarch had no hesitation and took away all noble and military titles, as a way to prevent the civil trial that will open in New York against him from damaging the Crown for the alleged rape of a minor that occurred two decades ago and that is interwoven with the case of the deceased Jeffrey Epstein.
At the other extreme is the irreverent and charismatic Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 57, who had to apologize twice, first before Parliament and then before the sovereign Elizabeth II herself, admitting that several parties were held in Downing Street, breaking the rules imposed by their government during the pandemic.
The hardest blow came yesterday with the revelations of the British press about one of those parties, which occurred just when the United Kingdom was mourning the death of Duke Philip of Edinburgh, husband of the sovereign.
(You may be interested in: Boris Johnson apologizes for attending a party during confinement)
According to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, boxes of wine and food were running among the reveling employees in the basements of the seat of government, just hours before the world saw the overwhelming image of a lonely queen at her husband’s funeral.
“It is deeply regrettable that this has taken place at a time of national mourning,” said a spokesman for the prime minister, who assured that Johnson did not participate in the party, in which two of his closest collaborators were fired.
“Whether he was there or not, that doesn’t matter. The prime minister allowed the party to take place. The British will not forgive him for that,” veteran English journalist Christopher Field assured EL TIEMPO, for whom a stage has begun that he defined as the prime minister’s “purgatory” that is defined between his political annulment or resignation.
Johnson, used to being the center of controversy since he was mayor of London, hoped this week to put an end to the New Year’s party scandal, but instead had to deal with the disclosure of his attendance at a social event. of “bring your own drink” in the exclusive gardens of Downing Street, to which some 100 employees were invited.
(Also: The photo of Johnson and others in a meeting in full confinement)
The evidence was so clear that the prime minister had to apologize to an angry horde of parliamentarians who booed him and called for his resignation.
At this point, despite the fact that the conservatives are almost certain that Johnson will leave power before the next election, there is a heated disagreement about the best time for his departure.
Whether he has been or not, that doesn’t matter. The prime minister allowed the party to take place. The British won’t forgive you for that.
For now, one of the clearest ways is to challenge the premier by asking for a vote of no confidence from the Committee of Deputies, the governing body of the Tories.
But some of Johnson’s opponents worry that there is a risk that he may still, despite all that has happened, secure enough votes among his colleagues to mean he would be safe for another year.
In the move of chips to replace Johnson, several figures have been considered, including the head of finance, Rishi Sunak, who has kept the treasury accounts relatively stable in the midst of the worst economic crisis that the United Kingdom has faced since the WWII. However, some analysts doubt that Sunak, or other parliamentarians such as Foreign Secretary Liz Truss; o Sajid Javid, Secretary of Health; are ready to hit the road.
Precisely, an issue that could lead one to think that Johnson will be able to prolong his stay in power has to do with economic management, at a time when the British face one of the worst cost-of-living crises in almost two decades.
According to the Bank of England, by April inflation could be close to 6 percent, in addition to the increase in social security taxes.
According to those insiders of British politics, they may see the economic pain in the cost of living that will be inflicted on the country this spring and believe that it would be better to keep Johnson in place for a while longer to “soak up that unpopularity,” he explained. Field, who worked with the premier when he was editor of The Spectator weekly.
In addition, “a motion of no confidence would only be successful with the tacit support of the candidates for the leadership of the cabinet and the parliamentarians on their list of supporters,” he said.
Some veteran parliamentarians, who have witnessed other prime ministers weather government crises, are more inclined to let the Conservative affluent wait for the waters to subside and public fury to subside.
In fact, the latest poll by the YouGov organization revealed a drop in popularity for Boris Johnson to 23 percent, the lowest since he took power in 2019. This, compared to the opposition leader of the Labor party, who It was located with a support of 57 percent of those consulted for the image signature.
A third option is to wait for the local elections, scheduled for May, which will serve as a political thermometer. However, some MPs fear that the damaging figure of a downtrodden Johnson could be risky and lead to a loss of seats.
For now, both are waiting for the report of the investigation of the senior official, Sue Gray on the parties in Downing Street, which could be published at the end of next week.
Maria Victoria Cristancho
For the time
London
On Twitter @mavicristancho
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