British PM Boris Johnson Resigns
London, MINA – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday announced his resignation as chairman of the Conservative Party, a position that made him prime minister after a wave of resignations by government officials, BBC reported.
This comes after it was revealed Johnson was aware of the alleged sexual harassment scandal of a member of parliament whom he appointed deputy chairman of the parliamentary caucus in February.
In his speech, Johnson said, “I want you to know how sad I am to leave the best job in the world.”
Johnson said party chair elections start now and he would remain in office until a new chairman is elected
He also said he was very proud of a number of achievements, including getting Brexit – Britain’s exit from the European Union – through the Covid pandemic and leading the West in the face of Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine.
Johnson had previously insisted that he would remain in office despite the resignation of many ministers.
He is one of the prime ministers of England with a short reign
When Boris Johnson issued his statement of resignation, dozens of people outside Downing Street heard the historic announcement.
Jaohnson’s decision to step down came two days after more than 50 government executives stepped down. The number of resignations was the largest since 1932, and at that time 11 members of the government had resigned.
The first to step down were Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and Health Minister Sajid Javid who submitted their resignations Tuesday because of the way PM Boris Johnson handled allegations of a sexual harassment scandal by his party lawmaker.
The resignation of the two ministers was followed by other officials.
Eve, Finance Minister Nadhim Zahawi, who has only been in office for a day, wrote a letter urging Boris to step down from his position.
The resignations of ministers and officials came a month after Johnson faced a no-confidence vote in parliament and won despite 41% of his own party’s opposition.
The attempt to shift it came after photos and evidence emerged of gatherings and parties at government offices during Britain’s strict lockdown, which was announced by the government itself. (T/RE1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)