Boris Johnson

EU leaders have been critical of his handling of Brexit; but he is praised for his stance on Russia.

More preoccupied with playing to the political gallery back home, than fulfilling international obligations or acting consistently in (what the EU assumes to be) the best interests of the UK. "And all this, with war back here on our continent," he added. In particular, over the post-Brexit deal on Northern Ireland. That's less down to the EU dislike of Brexit itself, which certainly exists. It was one of the many scandals that have now resulted in him being politically forced from office. He was also accused of tolerating and attending boozy gatherings at Downing Street during the strict Covid-19 lockdown.

His resignation speech leant too much on imagery from the animal kingdom: a “Darwinian battle” fought by MPs with a “herd mentality”. He regarded politics as an ...

Penny Mordaunt, the UK international trade minister, is the favourite to replace Boris Johnson as Conservative party leader, according to odds from bookmaker ...

Ben Wallace, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are among contenders to lead the Conservative Party and become Britain's next prime minister after Boris Johnson ...

Before joining politics, he worked as a journalist in Lebanon and served in the British army. He served as interior minister, and before Sunak he was chancellor of the exchequer but quit amid differences with Johnson’s then-aide Dominic Cummings. As health minister before the coronavirus pandemic hit, he was known for a protracted dispute with junior doctors and medical staffers over their pay and working conditions. Hunt chairs an influential committee that scrutinizes the government’s management of health care and has been praised by some British media outlets as a steady hand. As prime minister, she likely wouldn’t offer the European Union the improved relationship its leaders are hoping for. Liz Truss, Britain’s first female foreign secretary, was quiet in the early stages of political turmoil this week. Along with his mentor, former health secretary Sajid Javid, he sparked the start of cabinet resignations when he stepped down Tuesday. Return to menu He served in Northern Ireland, Germany, Cyprus and Central America. … I doubt I’d want to be prime minister, but I am a politician, so you can read that answer as you’d like.” Return to menu Return to menu

UK's Boris Johnson fights for his political survival after top resignations and scandals · U.K. · British Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid ...

Only a real change of government can give Britain the fresh start it needs." It has since emerged that Johnson appointed him to the role despite knowing of previous misconduct allegations against him. As a number of senior Tories called for Johnson to quit, the government's former Brexit negotiator David Frost also joined the fray, calling on the prime minister to step down without delay. As he faced such a vote only last month, a new challenge would require a rule change to allow another vote within the next 12 months. - But despite calls to resign, the prime minister shows no signs of being ready to stand down. Health Secretary Sajid Javid, likewise, resigned in protest against Johnson's leadership, which has been beset by controversy and scandal in recent months.

LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday was fighting for his political life as more ministers and aides continued to quit his government, ...

One of the lawmakers to resign his post on Wednesday was Will Quince, children and families minister. The majority of the British public think that he should throw in the towel now. Analysts say that Johnson is lucky insomuch as their reasons for losing faith in Johnson seem to be varied — his critics aren’t coalescing around a single issue, the way that those who helped to get rid of Theresa May, Johnson’s predecessor, did when they ditched her. While some leaders may have read the room and decided to call it quits, Ford said, Corbyn did not and remained leader until the spring of 2020. And under the current Conservative Party rules, there’s no formal way for Johnson’s critics to quickly get rid of him. The resignations, which have followed a string of scandals, have prompted numerous questions: How long can Johnson survive?

One of Boris Johnson's allies claimed that Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid had failed to "tap up" support from other cabinet ministers, before announcing their ...

The chairman of the 1922 committee, Sir Graham Brady, could go to No 10 with - metaphorically - a pile of no confidence letters under his arm. I don't want this to go on until the Autumn." This includes an MP who prominently supported him in the last leadership contest. And what is striking is that I have spoken to a number of Conservative MPs who backed Boris Johnson in the last confidence vote, who would not support him in the next one. If Boris Johnson were to be defeated in a confidence vote, then nominations would be open for a new leader - with MPs potentially whittling the candidates down to the final two before the summer recess. After a wave of high profile resignations, Number 10 will be keen to say they have stabilised the ship - there is a new chancellor, with a new approach, a new health secretary and a new education secretary.

Resignations are a feature of the constitution of the United Kingdom, and not a bug. When a minister resigns, a noise is made that usually catches the ...

What is missing is the soothing green light of a change of prime minister. The first is the power of patronage which derives from the royal prerogative, and this enables a prime minister to hire and fire cabinet ministers and to set the agenda for the government. The constitution of the UK is used to prime ministers being got rid of between general elections. And current Prime Minister Boris Johnson appears to have lost the confidence of both. Resignations are a feature of the constitution of the United Kingdom, and not a bug. The prime minister of the United Kingdom has surprisingly few formal powers.

Two top ministers and a slew of more junior officials resigned this week, saying they could no longer serve under Johnson's scandal-tarred leadership.

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LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was clinging to power on Wednesday (Jul 6), gravely wounded by the resignation of ministers who said he was not ...

His last job was as education secretary. He resigned as Johnson's finance minister in 2020. Advertisement He would offer a more serious and less controversial style of leadership after the turmoil of Johnson's premiership. Advertisement Advertisement

Finance minister Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid kicked off the wave of government resignations, with Sunak saying the “public rightly expect ...

As Johnson survived a confidence vote in June, he is immune to another effort to oust him for a year. The exodus of government officials, particularly Sunak and Javid, come as a major blow to Johnson. It raises further doubts about his abilities to command his party, government and to win elections, already under question after the party suffered heavy defeats at two by-elections in June and large numbers of lawmakers voted against Johnson’s leadership at a confidence vote. “Our people know that if something is too good to be true then it's not true,” he said. Johnson has since said he was briefed on the allegations but forgot about them. He hinted that Johnson was planning to mislead voters over the country’s economic situation and the “difficult decisions” that lie ahead. Sunak said the “public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously” and stressed he is resigning to defend those standards.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face questions in parliament followed by a grilling by senior lawmakers on Wednesday, with his premiership on the ...

Contingent calling on the prime minister to go includes new chancellor Nadhim Zahawi. BRITAIN-POLITICS-CONSERVATIVES-JOHNSON. UK ...

It means Johnson could be face a fresh confidence vote sooner rather than later. - Javid, the former health secretary, delivered a withering assault on Johnson’s integrity and record in office, in his resignation statement to the House of Commons. He warned his colleagues who are still serving in Johnson’s Cabinet that doing nothing is still “an active decision.” Pressed on reports that the team of top ministers was waiting to make its move just streets away, Johnson told the House of Commons liaison committee he would not give a running commentary on political events. Despite facing more than 30 government resignations — including the exit of top ministers Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid within minutes of each other — over the course of a day, the U.K. prime minister defiantly declared Wednesday he would “keep going.” LONDON — A delegation of Boris Johnson’s top ministers — including the chancellor he appointed less than 24 hours ago — is urging the U.K. prime minister to resign. The Times meanwhile reported that Home Secretary Priti Patel, previously a staunch defender of Johnson and one of his most senior ministers, had spoken to the Tory leader and sided with those urging him to go.

Two of his top ministers have quit and others are calling for him to go, but he is hanging on.

Similar allegations of sexual misconduct had been made against Mr Pincher in the past. But so far Mr Johnson remains defiant and says he has no intention of resigning given his "colossal mandate" from voters at the last election. In a subsequent statement to Parliament on Wednesday Mr Javid said - with Mr Johnson looking on - that the problem "starts at the top" and "that's not going to change". Tuesday afternoon saw Mr Johnson call the rest of his cabinet to find out who was staying and who was going - so far the rest of the cabinet has remained loyal. "It's a bit like the death of Rasputin. He's been poisoned, stabbed, he's been shot, his body's been dumped in a freezing river and still he lives." Tory MP Andrew Mitchell told the BBC: "It's a bit like the death of Rasputin. He's been poisoned, stabbed, he's been shot, his body's been dumped in a freezing river and still he lives."

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson refused to step down Wednesday night despite mounting pressure from Parliament and a wave of resignations following the ...

Without a change, Johnson is immune to a vote for another year. Parliament could call for a follow-up no-confidence vote, but only if parliamentary rules are changed to allow a second vote in the same year. April 19, 2022: Johnson is fined £50 for at least 50 breaches of the law for attending the “Partygate” birthday party at 10 Downing, which he said he didn’t realize constituted a “party” — the breaches make Johnson the first prime minister to have broken the law while in office.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is just the latest in a long line of British leaders to risk being kicked out while in office. Under the UK political system, ...

The procedure is important because, when a party is in power, the leader is also prime minister. The process is governed by a group of rank-and-file Conservative members of Parliament, or MPs, known as the 1922 committee. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is just the latest in a long line of British leaders to risk being kicked out while in office.

LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in serious trouble — again — with more than 25 members of his government resigning in the past day.

It was made worse by a series of scandals — dubbed “Partygate” — over several parties being held at Downing Street when lockdowns and social distancing were in place during the worst of the pandemic. And he has been criticized over the mounting cost-of-living crisis in the U.K. “Mr. Johnson was briefed in person about the initiation and outcome of the investigation,” McDonald said. Johnson was criticized for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The committee is set to meet Wednesday and could decide to elect new members next week. But since then, he has lost the public’s confidence: In a new YouGov poll, 69 percent of Britons said Johnson should resign, and many of his party members agree. Johnson says he has no plans to quit. But Pincher last week resigned from that post amid a scandal, as the British press widely reported that he had allegedly tried to grope several men while intoxicated at a bar. At first, as the scandal broke and Pincher resigned, Johnson’s official spokesman said the prime minister did not know of earlier incidents of Pincher’s alleged misconduct. He resigned from his post as government whip in 2017 after a Conservative Party activist accused him of making unwanted advances toward him. Sunak said: “The public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously. Having a senior cabinet member resign is a big deal in British politics, and Sunak and Javid were in particularly important positions.

Removing Gove may be risky, with the prime minister's party in open revolt against him and resignations still coming. Read more at straitstimes.com.

But the scale of the Tory unrest makes survival a tall order. The math is certainly not in Johnson’s favor. An ally of the prime minister said it is not a given the committee will change the rules, nor that it would call a second vote, and nor that Johnson would lose in the event of one. But even as Johnson tries to fight back, another danger is looming. “If there is a leadership contest I will put my name into the ring.” Rebel Tories are determined to hold another vote on his leadership as soon as next week.

BRITISH Prime Minister Boris Johnson defied pressure to quit on Wednesday from senior ministers and a mounting rebellion within his ruling Conservative ...

My colleague Alex Wickham reports that ultra-loyalist Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is part of a delegation of senior ministers heading to Downing Street to ...

Mr Lewis was among previously-loyal cabinet ministers who told the prime minister on Wednesday that he needed to step down from office due to a loss in support.

In his letter to the prime minister, Mr Lewis said a decision to leave government is "never taken lightly particularly at such a critical time for Northern Ireland". A decent and responsible Government relies on honesty, integrity and mutual respect - it is a matter of profound personal regret that I must leave Government as I no longer believe those values are being upheld.— Brandon Lewis (@BrandonLewis) As the crisis for Boris Johnson was beginning on Tuesday, I was told by a source: "If he decides to soldier on, Brandon Lewis will be his trusted lieutenant." Mr Lewis tweeted on Thursday that a "decent and responsible" government relies on "honesty, integrity and mutual respect". Mr Lewis was among previously-loyal cabinet ministers who told the prime minister on Wednesday that he needed to step down from office due to a loss in support. Brandon Lewis has resigned as Northern Ireland secretary as the crisis over Boris Johnson's leadership grows.

Latest updates: prime minister has decided to resign, according to reports, after new chancellor tells him to quit.

I am heartbroken that he hasn’t listened and that he is now undermining the incredible achievements of this government at this late hour. Out of respect, and the hopes that he would listen to an old friend of 30 years, I kept this counsel private. There is now likely to be a intense debate in the Conservative party about whether it would be appropriate for Boris Johnson to remain in office until the autumn.

With his government crumbling around him, his days are numbered.

LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was clinging to power on Thursday (Jul 7), despite more than 50 resignations from his government, ...

"The problem starts at the top, and I believe that is not going to change," he told a hushed House of Commons. The Communities Secretary was reportedly the first to tell him that he must resign for the good of the Tory party and country, with a source close to Johnson telling the BBC that Gove was "a snake". The Sun newspaper said Johnson had told colleagues they would have to "dip (their) hands in blood" to push him out of office.Allies of the prime minister said he was going to "fight on", with his parliamentary private secretary (PPS) James Duddridge telling Sky News Johnson was in a "buoyant mood". On the other end of the political spectrum, The Guardian condemned Johnson as "desperate and deluded". The normally staunchly pro-Conservative Daily Express spoke of Johnson's "last stand", with the Daily Telegraph calling Johnson "mortally wounded", and The Times saying Johnson was "fight(ing) for his life". Johnson was confronted by members of his Cabinet on Wednesday when he returned to Downing Street from a lengthy grilling by a parliamentary committee. "I am heartbroken that he hasn't listened and that he is now undermining the incredible achievements of this government," Zahawi said in a letter. Zahawi did not say he had resigned, but said he went to the prime minister's office in Downing Street with Cabinet colleagues on Wednesday evening to tell Johnson to "leave with dignity". "I see no way that you can continue in post, but without a formal mechanism to remove you it seems that the only way that this is ... possible is for those of us who remain in Cabinet to force your hand," Donelan wrote in a resignation letter, saying she had "pleaded" with Johnson on Wednesday to resign. "This is not sustainable and it will only get worse, for you, for the Conservative Party and most importantly of all the country," Zahawi said on Twitter. Northern Ireland minister Brandon Lewis also resigned on Thursday, writing in a letter published on his Twitter account that Johnson was "past the point of no return". Donelan resigned from government on Thursday less than 48 hours after she was appointed, saying it was the only way to force the hand of Johnson to quit.

Boris Johnson will announce his resignation as British Prime Minister on Thursday, a government source said, after he was abandoned by ministers and his ...

The prime minister said he had forgotten. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com That was borne out in the December 2019 election. These are serious times on many fronts." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

LONDON — Boris Johnson has agreed to step down as the British prime minister, the BBC and other British media outlets said Thursday, following an avalanche ...

Bernard Jenkin, a Conservative lawmaker and chair of the powerful Liaison Committee, told the national broadcaster that Johnson “can go with some dignity” or he can be “forced out like Donald Trump, clinging to power and pretending he’s won the election when he’s lost." Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis was among those who resigned from his position in the Cabinet on Thursday morning. Many of the letters including brutal assessments of Johnson’s tenure and critiques of his honesty. You must do the right thing and go now.” Ministers in charge of security, the courts, technology, education, finance, Northern Ireland, science have all left their jobs. Chris Mason, the BBC’s political editor, wrote: “Boris Johnson will resign as Conservative leader today - he will continue as Prime Minister until the autumn.

The 50th resignation came from George Freeman, a junior minister for science, research and innovation, and pensions minister Guy Opperman quit shortly after.

Prime minister, you know in your heart what the right thing to do is, and go now." Johnson met with remaining members of his cabinet on Wednesday night, many of whom were reported to have urged him to step down. Matt Beech, director of the Centre for British Politics at the University of Hull, told CNBC on Thursday that the challenge Johnson is facing this time around is different on account of the "huge proportion of the government payroll vote" that have resigned, characterizing the situation as "pretty seismic." She told Johnson in a letter: "I see no way that you can continue in post, but without a formal mechanism to remove you it seems the only way that this is possible is for those of us who remain in cabinet to force your hand." "I am heartbroken that he hasn't listened and that he is now undermining the incredible achievements of this Government at this late hour," Zahawi said in a public letter Thursday morning. In a scathing resignation letter to the prime minister, Freeman said the "culmination of your lack of transparency and candour with Parliament (and willingness to ask your Ministers to mislead Parliament), your removal of key pillars of the Ministerial code, your handling of your appointment of a Deputy Chief Whip who it turns out you knew had a history of sexual abuse allegations, is too much."

After days of refusing to resign, the embattled prime minister looks set to step down as government resignations flood in.

Bernard Jenkin, a Conservative lawmaker and chair of the powerful Liaison Committee, told the national broadcaster that Johnson “can go with some dignity” or he can be “forced out like Donald Trump, clinging to power and pretending he’s won the election when he’s lost.” Ministers in charge of security, the courts, technology, education, finance, Northern Ireland and science have all left their jobs. He tweeted: “Prime Minister: this is not sustainable and it will only get worse: for you, for the Conservative Party and most importantly of all the country. Nadhim Zahawi, who was appointed chancellor, the second-most important job in government, on Tuesday, turned on Johnson on Thursday and told him to step down. Many of the letters included brutal assessments of Johnson’s tenure and critiques of his honesty. Johnson’s former top aide and now chief critic, who helped his boss win the Brexit referendum and get elected, warned that the prime minister needed to go now.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to resign, according to two officials familiar with his thinking, following an unprecedented wave of resignations from ...

A series of scandals rocked his premiership and led many from within his own party to question his ability to lead the country.

State of play: The race to replace him as both leader of the Conservative Party and as prime minister looks wide open. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed to resign as Conservative Party leader Thursday, the BBC reports. How we got here: Last month, Johnson faced a no-confidence vote sparked by members of his Conservative Party after he was found to have broken the law by attending several social gatherings during the country's strict COVID-19 lockdown. As of late June, his approval rating stood at 26%. The top candidates to replace Boris Johnson as U.K. prime minister - Then came "partygate," beginning late last year. Go deeper: The top candidates to replace Boris Johnson as U.K. prime minister Pincher resigned last week after new allegations were leveled against him. The drawn-out scandal outraged the public and led to Johnson becoming the first sitting prime minister to bepenalized for breaking the law. - Nadhim Zahawi, who the prime minister appointed to replace Sunak as chancellor, urged the prime minister to step down. - Johnson hopes to stay on as prime minister until a new party leader is chosen, likely this summer, per the BBC. Why it matters: It's a stunning fall for a prime minister who in 2019 won a historic 80-seat majority on the back of his pledge to take the U.K. out of the EU.

LONDON (REUTERS, BLOOMBERG) - Mr Boris Johnson will announce his resignation as British Prime Minister on Thursday (July 7), the BBC reported, ...

The prime minister said he had forgotten. That was borne out in the December 2019 election. This is true now more than ever," Ellis, a minister in the Cabinet Office department which oversees the running of government, said. After days of battling for his job, Mr Johnson had been abandoned by all but a handful of allies. “We need a fresh start for Britain.” It is our duty now to make sure the people of this country have a functioning government.

LONDON: Boris Johnson will announce his resignation as British prime minister on Thursday (Jul 6), multiple media outlets reported and a government source ...

The prime minister said he had forgotten. That was borne out in the December 2019 election. These are serious times on many fronts." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement

LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce his resignation Thursday amid a party revolt and is due to give a statement to the ...

A contest for the leadership of his Conservative party will take place over summer. But his popularity took serious dents after a string of scandals, from police fines over coronavirus lockdown parties to a brouhaha over the cost of decorating his official residence. The next day, he penned a letter — shared on Twitter — in which he urged Johnson to “leave with dignity.”

Boris Johnson plans to resign as UK prime minister, according to two officials familiar with his thinking, bringing the curtain down on a tempestuous three ...

Britain's prime minister steps down as leader of the Conservative Party after several top officials quit his government, saying they couldn't serve under ...

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U.K. · It comes as the wave of resignations from Johnson's government and party since Tuesday evening approached 60, with one Conservative Party member after ...

The 58-year-old former London mayor had become known for his ability to wriggle out of political controversies. It has since emerged that Johnson appointed him to the role despite knowing of previous misconduct allegations against him. The secret ballot of Tory lawmakers saw some 211 MPs vote in favor of Johnson, while 148 voted against him. He said he intends to remain in place until a new Tory leader is elected. Johnson thanked his wife Carrie Johnson, his children, the National Health Service, armed forces and Downing Street staff. Johnson's decision to remain in office comes despite a clear lack of support from within his own party and a growing push across the political spectrum for him to step down immediately.

LONDON: Boris Johnson announced his resignation as British prime minister on Thursday (Jul 7) after he was abandoned by ministers and his Conservative ...

However, he concluded that Johnson had not intentionally lied about the messages. After damaging headlines, Paterson resigned and the government abandoned the proposed changes. Another Conservative lawmaker has been arrested on suspicion of rape, sexual assault and other offences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement

Boris Johnson always wanted to be Winston Churchill. Now, he's emulated his hero in at least one respect: He has been dragged from high office amid scandal.

His most senior defender — Truss — was nowhere to be seen, jumping on a plane to Bali, Indonesia, for a G-20 meeting. Suella Braverman, the attorney general, has already announced her intention to stand in the leadership race. Britain doesn’t have a written constitution and the prime minister is not directly elected. Bellwether columnist Alice Thomson wrote in the Times of London that for the sake of Britain’s democracy, enough is enough. The final blow came from his own appointed ministers, as around 40 senior officials resigned in a single 24-hour period this week. In the latest Westminster sex scandal — there were nine others in 2022 alone — it turned out that Johnson knew for three years that his loyal lieutenant Chris Pincher had been accused of sexually assaulting young men on multiple occasions. More loyalists jumped ship Wednesday morning, and another group of five resigned together after Johnson’s defiant performance in Parliament on Wednesday afternoon. “Fuck that” was his pithy reply to a colleague who asked if he considered resigning Tuesday, The Times of London reported. Johnson’s ejection from Downing Street is not a rejection of Brexit, or a sign that British conservatism is changing course. Perhaps if the world gets its act together on climate change, he will also get a hat tip for locking Britain into its net-zero emissions path, overriding his conservative base. Even as the walls closed in around him, he remained defiant. Johnson was responding to Obama urging Britain to vote to stay in the EU, calling it “a symbol of the part-Kenyan president’s ancestral dislike of the British Empire.”