It is no longer news that the United Kingdom prime minister, Boris Johnson has resigned from his position as the conservative party leader, a post he assumed on July 24, 2019, when he succeeded the then prime minister, Theresa May.
However, Boris Johnson will remain prime minister until a new leader is elected.
The three years reign of the Newyork city-born politician was marred with so many controversies, scandals, and accusations.
Here are some of the things that contributed to the fall of the former Conservative party leader.
1. The mass resignation of cabinet ministers
On the 5th of July, 2022, two top ministers serving under Boris, Sajid Javid who was the health secretary, and Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor resigned from their positions.
In his resignation letter, Sunak said the public expected government to be conducted “properly, competently and seriously”
While Javid’s resignation letter read in part: “I regret to say, however, that it is clear to me that this situation will not change under your leadership – and you have therefore lost my confidence too.”
Sunak and Javid’s resignations were followed by resignations from more than 50 other cabinet members, who believe that the United Kingdom needs new competent leadership to pilot its affairs, as Boris lacked what it takes to move the country forward.
2. Chris Pincher allegations saga
Another act that may have contributed to the downfall of the former minister can be linked to the appointment of Chris Pincher as deputy chief whip. It was revealed that Boris Johnson knew about Pincher’s sexual misconduct in 2019, but still went ahead to appoint him.
Pincher’s case worsened recently when he was alleged to have grabbed two men at a private members’ club, touching at least one of them on the groin. To the disappointment of Conservative MP’s, Pincher was pardoned by Boris Johnson-led government rather than being punished for the act.
Although, Boris later apologised for appointing Pincher, the apology seemed not to have done enough to save his office.
3. Failure to pay attention to food security
Boris Johnson was heavily criticised for his nonchalant attitude towards the United Kingdom’s food security. Experts lamented that the Boris Johnson-led administration depended heavily on food imports from other countries, which made the country vulnerable to volatile food and energy prices.
Covid-19, Brexit, and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia have been said to have affected the prices of food in the United Kingdom, with experts suggesting that it was time for the United Kingdom to build its horticulture and be self-reliant on food.
Prof Martin McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, added: “The UK is dependent on globalised food chain, but it’s ultimately problematic. This is the problem of interconnectedness—once something changes, it can have knock-on impacts.”
4. Lobbying scandal of Owen Peterson
In 2021, when Owen Peterson, a former Conservative member of Parliament, was facing a 30-day suspension after being accused of an “egregious” breach of lobbying rules, Boris Johnson was accused of trying to force Conservative MPs to vote in favour of overturning the suspension.
Boris’s attempt was met with many backlashes and condemnations, which forced Boris to make a U-turn. Owen Peterson subsequently quit as MP after Boris attempted to salvage his position.
5. Partygate scandal
At the height of the Covid-19 lockdown, Boris Johnson was condemned for his role in the party gate scandal, where he was alleged to have flouted covid-19 restrictions rules and attended at least three out of 12 gatherings that took place at Downing Street and other government buildings.
The event was greeted with condemnation from UK citizens and was said to have affected the performance of the conservative party at the 2021 North Shropshire by-election.
The leader of the major opposition Labour Party, Kam Starmer, called for the signature of Boris and accused the prime minister of blaming everyone else but himself.
“There can be no doubt that the prime minister himself is now subject to criminal investigation,” Starmer had told parliament.
The former prime minister later apologised for breaking the Covid-19 restrictions, saying that it was not intentional and claiming he had no idea that a birthday gathering was a party.
6. Downing Street refurbishment saga
As early as 2020, when Boris Johnson assumed office as the prime minister of the United Kingdom, he was accused of corruption and lying after it emerged that he sought the fund to refurbish his Downing Street residence from a Conservative Party donor, without properly disclosing the source of the fund for the refurbishment. An official investigation, however, showed that Boris asked a Tory donor to pay for the refurbishment of his Downing Street residence.
Boris’ party, the Conservative, was later fined £17,800 by the Electoral commission for breaking the rules on reporting donations.
7. Prorogation of Parliament
Boris Johnson had, on many occasions, been accused of unduly twisting the law to suit himself. It was reported that Boris Johnson asked the British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth, to prorogue Parliament for five months during the Brexit period.
Although the Queen rubber stamped the request, it was later discovered that Boris had misled the Queen and the supreme court found the prorogation to be illegal.
Johnson was, however, forced to tender an apology for embarrassing the monarch.
Boris Johnson is not the only United Kingdom Conservative Party prime minister to have resigned from the top position. His immediate predecessors, Theresa May and David Cameron, and others have also done the same in the past.
However, Boris’s untimely departure from the British top seat will be the topic of discussion for a long time to come.
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