Boris Johnson set to resign as UK Prime Minister today after mass resignations in Cabinet

In a massive development in UK political crisis, Boris Johnson is set to resign today and has agreed to stand down as Tory leader, Downing Street said. He will remain PM until a new leader is elected. Boris Johnson gave in after more than 40 ministers quit his government and told him to go. He earlier rebuffed calls by his Cabinet to step down in the wake of ethics scandals. The British Prime Minister is expected to make a statement to the country later today.

Johnson, who is the first PM in the history of the country to face so many resignations, could not fill his government because he could not replace people in his cabinet and it was simply ‘unsustainable’, a Sky News report said.

Sky News cited a cabinet minister as saying that Johnson on Wednesday sought to stir some courage among the Conservatives to ‘hang in there with him’ but now one of its sources, revealed to the outlet that cabinet officials who want him to resign met with Downing Street officials on Thursday morning. 

Earlier, Nadhim Zahawi, who was appointed as the chancellor two days ago to fill up Rishi Sunak’s position in the cabinet, has asked the British Prime Minister to do the “right thing” and “go now”. Amid one of the worst political crises in the UK, more than 50 members of Johnson’s government have resigned and are calling for UK PM to leave Downing Street. 

In a letter, Zahawi noted, “Yesterday, I made clear to the Prime Minister alongside my colleagues in No10 that there was only one direction where this was going, and that he should leave with dignity.”

According to Zahawi, Britain “deserves a Government that is not only stable, but which acts with integrity. Prime Minister, you know in your heart what the right thing to do is, and go now”. 

UK political crisis

While the British PM has pledged to hold his stance, more and more Tory MPs are voicing their criticism of Johnson’s leadership including Zahawi, who was appointed as the chancellor after Sunak announced his resignation. Saying that he was putting resignation with “great sadness”, Sunak also noted, “the public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously. I recognise this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning."

Zahawi moved from the post of education secretary to the chancellor. The job of education secretary is handed over to former universities minister Michelle Donelan. Steve Barclay, who will handle Sajid Javid’s former role of health secretary, was previously the Duchy of Lancaster and chief of staff for Downing Street. These were the initial re-appointments that Johnson’s government announced before several dozens of senior and junior officials chose to step down from their posts. 
 

Image: AP