British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigns

By Susy Hodges

After less than three years in office, Boris Johnson’s tumultuous time as prime minister is finally coming to an end following a mass mutiny by his ministers and aides.

When the first ministerial resignations were announced on Tuesday, Johnson dug in and initially refused to step down but in the end he was deserted by all but a handful of allies. On Thursda he bowed to the inevitable and in an address outside his residence, confirmed his decision to resign, saying the will of the party was clear.

Although Johnson said he will stay on as a caretaker prime minister until his successor is chosen by the Conservative Party, a growing number of lawmakers are saying he should step down now.

Johnson’s resignation comes in the wake of a series of scandals involving his government. The latest crisis erupted after the lawmaker Chris Pincher, who held a government role involved in pastoral care, was forced to quit over accusations of sexual misconduct. Johnson had to apologise after it emerged that he was briefed that Pincher had been the subject of previous sexual misconduct complaints before he appointed him. The prime minister claimed he had forgotten.

Earlier, Johnson’s government had been embroiled in a long-running scandal dubbed “Partygate” after a damning report into a series of parties at his Downing Street residence and office that broke strict Covid lockdown rules at the time.

Johnson came to power in July 2019 promising to deliver Britain’s departure from the European Union following the Brexit referendum. He won a landslide victory in the December election that year but the latest opinion poll showed he was no longer popular with the public at large.

Published on Tuesday, the poll found that 69 percent of Britons believed Johnson should go, including a majority of Conservative voters.