On Thursday, June 7th 2022, the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned his position as the leader of the Conservative party following the mass resignation of his Ministers and aides. And the many controversies that plagued his administration. In the last days of Mr. Boris Johnson’s administration, many Briton politicians had publicly declared zero confidence in the leader.
Why Boris Johnson resigned
The former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in his resignation speech, claimed that he was honoring the “will of the Conservative party” in resigning. However, there are a few highlight controversies that led up to Boris Johnson’s resignation.
Breaking Covid Restrictions
In June 2020, while the UK, like almost every other country in the world, was in lockdown due to the Covid-19 outbreak, Boris Johnson attended a birthday party with friends and family, breaking the Covid laws his administration had set. Although they fined him, the Britons never forgave him.
Alleged Corruption
The former prime minister faced corruption allegations for soliciting funds from a fellow conservative party member to refurbish his house at Downing Street. Sources pegged the cost of refurbishment at £200,000. Note that UK laws require that they report donations and loans from £7,500 to the Electoral Commission.
Inflation
Boris Johnson’s administration took the UK’s inflation rate to a record high of 9.1% while also raising tax rates. This has financially pressured Britons and, as such, alienated support for the former Prime Minister.
Paterson’s Scandal
Mr. Boris Johnson lost a lot of support after he wrongly handled the scandal of fellow party member Owen Paterson. The latter was accused of trying to extort funds from companies that had already paid him. He was then pressured to resign his position. Mr. Boris Johnson, however, not only voted to pause the resignation, he opened another investigation into the decision of the designated committee that asked Owen Paterson to resign his position. Owen Paterson resigned after much pressure.
Chris Pincher Sex Scandal
Chris Pincher, a close ally of the former UK prime minister, was accused of sexual misconduct in 2019. Mr. Boris Johnson decided not to act on the allegations but instead named Mr. Chris Pincher, as the Conservatives’ deputy chief whip. Mr. Chris Pincher later resigned after allegations of another sexual misconduct at a party came to light earlier this week.
Mass resignations
One of the most likely reasons Mr. Boris Johnson resigned was that from Tuesday July 6th to Wednesday July 7th, 37 MPs, including 5 cabinet members in the conservative party, resigned their offices, stating zero confidence in the leader.
What you should know
Mr. Boris Johnson resigned his position as the leader of the Conservative party but is the acting British Prime Minister until the Conservative party chooses a new Prime Minister.