What is the Chris Pincher scandal that led to UK PM Boris Johnson's ouster? Know here

A month after surviving a no-confidence vote in the United Kingdom's Parliament, Conservative leader Boris Johnson on Thursday finally resigned from his position as the country's Prime Minister. This comes after more than 50 ministers of his Cabinet stepped down citing a lack of confidence in Johnson.

Following his resignation, Johnson announced that he would continue to be in the post till his successor is elected by the Conservative party. He agreed to resign after Treasury Chief Nadhim Zahawi, one of his closest aides, suggested he step down for the benefit of the country. Notably, the 'Chris Pincher scandal' rocked UK politics and is said to be the main reason that led to Johnson's ouster.

What is the Chris Pincher scandal?

Chris Pincher, a former member of parliament and the deputy chief whip for the Conservative Party, attended a private members' club in London on June 29. He claimed to have drank too much and "embarrassed himself" at the club. Pincher was accused of groping two men at the club, which sparked a wave of accusations against him, some of which dated back years. According to reports, he has also been charged with sexual assault cases, one in 2013 and another six years later in 2019. 

This accusation sparked a series of actions that is said to be the immediate cause that led to the British Prime Minister's ouster. Earlier, Downing Street stated that when Johnson named Pincher as deputy chief whip in February this year, he was unaware of any "particular allegations" against him. However, this ultimately turned out to be false. 

According to a BBC report, Johnson was aware of a formal complaint lodged against Pincher. Lord McDonald, a former civil servant, later claimed that the Prime Minister was informed of the complaint in person. Later, Johnson went on to acknowledge that he had indeed been informed of the formal complaint and expressed regret about choosing Pincher to serve as deputy chief whip.

Conservative leader Skidmore slams Johnson for mishandling Pincher incident

Earlier on Wednesday, July 6, Conservative leader Chris Skidmore submitted a letter expressing no-confidence on Johnson. Skidmore slammed the Prime Minister for misleading the country in Pincher's incident.

"Recent events have revealed that the Prime Minister repeatedly was informed and knew about allegations of sexual misconduct and previously upheld complaints against a member of the government. He (Johnson) subsequently took the decision to promote this person into a position responsible for the welfare of Conservative Members of Parliament," Skidmore wrote in his letter. 

(Image: AP/@ChrisPincher/Twitter)