Boris Johnson: India on UK PM's ouster, 'We attach importance to negotiations..'

On the news of ouster of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a look on India's response. Spokesperson for India’s External Affairs Ministry, Arindam Bagchi, said: “We attach importance to negotiations that are going on with the U.K on a trade deal. There is some degree of optimism that this could be done soon."

He added, "Whether a change of the prime minister or leadership in the UK would impact that would be in the speculation zone.”

Boris Johnson's former advisor, Dominic Cummings in a harsh tone demanded former UK PM's ouster rejecting his caretaker position that is expected to last until October this year. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Cummings wrote: “Evict today or he’ll cause carnage, even now he’s playing for time & will try to stay.” 

UK's aviation minister Robert Courts is endorsing Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps as potential candidate for Prime Minister's position. In a remark made on BBC Newsnight, Courts has said: “Because of the challenges the country has, because we’re still pulling out of the pandemic and cost of living issues, I think we need someone who has experience and someone able to campaign and deliver." Furthermore he continued, “Someone like Grant Shapps, my boss, I’ve seen him work at close quarters and I think he has done an outstanding job." 

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon opposed Johnson holding office as the caretaker prime minister saying that he is incapable of putting up a respectable conduct. “I’m not sure that anybody can look at Boris Johnson and conclude that he is capable of genuinely behaving as a caretaker prime minister. He will want to do things, and in the process of that undoubtedly cause more chaos than he has already," Nicola Sturgeon said. 

Ex UK Cabinet minister Dr Liam Fox believes that ousted PM Johnson should remain in power for as long as the new leader is not elected. In remarks to the PA news agency, Fox said: "Yes, I think the precedent is there, David Cameron stayed until his successor was elected, Theresa May stayed until her successor was elected.So the precedent is clear and I think to change that would be a big mistake."

In a non supportive stance on prospects of Boris Johnson continuing as the caretaker PM of Britain, Former education secretary MP Justine Greening told Newsnight that Johnson must "stand down immediately." “I think for the party in particular, as well as the country, this is about moving on," she maintained in her statement to the broadcaster. 

Ex UK health secretary Matt Hancock has declared in the British media that he will not be running for the Tory leadership. “No, I’m not going to stand, but I care deeply that it’s somebody who will deliver for people, and will really make sure that the Conservative Party is there to get through difficult times," he was quoted as saying by Guardian newspaper. About Boris Johnson becoming the head of the party he said, “Yes of course, because the most pressing day-to-day problem is making sure we support our friends in Ukraine, and he, of course, has done that brilliantly.”

UK's adversary Russia on Friday issued statement on UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's ouster saying that it has been "fun to watch the government crisis in Britain unfold." Russia's Foreing Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova said that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson attempted to "distract the British people" with 'Moscow, Kremlin, Putin' mantra but failed. 

"They [Tories] are unable to distract the public. People know who brought the situation in Britain that pushed them to the brink of economic collapse and even the risk of disunion, some 'party'" said Zakharova in a harsh toned statememt issued by Russian MFA. Furthermore she added, that it is Boris Johnson's ruling Conservative Party that has "created nearly insurmountable economic hardships for ordinary hardworking Britons." 

She also accused UK government of trying to deviate public's attention by engaging in "anti-Russian activities, provocations in Ukraine, global economic destabilisation, and financial piracy." 

On a tough note, Conservative MP Michael Heseltine has called for ouster of Boris Johnson immediately as the UK PM announced that he will continue to serve as the caretaker leader until a new head of the state is appointed. Citing the "lack of trust" in Johnson, UK's former deputy prime minister told BBC that leaving Johnson "in a position where he can use the power of the premiership to suit his own causes and his own interests is a very dangerous thing to do."

British PM Boris Johnson on Friday said that there are many who are "relieved" that he stepped down from the leadership role, adding that a few may also be disappointed, as he addressed the Britons. "I want you to know how sad I am to give up the best job in the world, but them’s the breaks," he said.

Johnson thanked the British citizens for their 2019 mandate and giving him what he described an "immense privilege" to be the Prime Minister. He added that he has appointed a cabinet to serve and will remain a caretaker PM until a new leader is in place. 

Credit: Twitter/@BorisJohnson

MP Tom Tugendhat is considering to become a Tory leader, he said in a statement to the British broadcaster Sky news.  "I have spoken pretty publicly about the fact that this country needs people who are willing to serve, people who are willing to put themselves forward," he said. "That's what I'm talking to friends about now and we'll see what friends say. It's not a secret that I've been thinking about this and I've been talking to people about the sort of things the country needs."

British MPs have been pushing to shorten the process to replace Boris Johnson and appoint a new Prime Minister as soon as possible, according to PA news agency. To felicitate the process, Conservative MP for North West Leicestershire Andrew Bridgen spoke to Sir Graham Brady. "I have spoken with Sir Graham Brady and urged him to truncate, wherever possible, the leadership election process. I think we will have two candidates out of the parliamentary party to present the membership before recess. And that will be no more than three or four weeks," he was quoted as saying by the agency. 

“So by the end of August we will have a new leader of the Conservative Party. So Boris Johnson’s estimate that he’ll still be Prime Minister in October is wildly inaccurate.”

Senior US lawmakers have shared opinion on the ouster of the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Prime Minister Johnson’s resignation "will bring greater stability as the UK transitions in the coming months," said US Congressman Bill Keating. "Politics is a science and the science says the time has come," Senator Steve Cohen tweeted. 

Ousted UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is still hoping to continue his tenure as the British MP in the parliament, British broadcaster Sky news has learnt from sources familiar with the development. 

UK's Conservative MP for Ashford, former Secretary of State Damian Green is backing Tom Tugendhat for the position of the Britain's new Prime Minister. “I’m supporting Tom Tugendhat. We need a clean start, a fresh start, we need to get on with resetting the Conservative Party and resetting government more widely in this country so that it gets back to being properly run, observing the conventions, supporting the institutions that we have in this country," Damian Green was quoted as saying by PA agency. Tugendhat had welcomed Johnson's resignation. 

UK's former minister Will Quince who had stepped down in defiance of Johnson's conduct and handling of Pincher sexual harrassment controversy has returned as secretary of state. His name makes mention in the new list of the ministers. Quince had resigned from children and families minister role. 

“With great sadness and regret, I have this morning tendered my resignation to the Prime Minister after I accepted and repeated assurances on Monday to the media which have now been found to be inaccurate. I wish my successor well – it is the best job in government," he had written on Twitter at the time of stepping down. 

Bookmaker Coral has predicted some of the front runner for UK PM position, that include former UK defence secretary and trade minister Penny Mordaunt as a potential candidate. Among others are Ben Wallace. UK's current Defense Secretary who was voted as another of bookies’ favourite choice. Former UK chancellor Rishi Shunak who recently stepped down was also listed as the leadership hope in a poll by the Tories. Ex health minister of UK who beat Johnson at previous Tory leadership election, Jeremy Hunt is also being talked about as the replacement for Boris Johnson. 

After the UK PM Johnson was asked to quit by the Tory Party members, an ex minister has reportedly exhaled relief saying, "the bubble has been burst. We can move on," according to statement shared to American broadcaster CNN. 

"Despite all the problems facing the country, despite the Conservative party trailing in the polls and despite the potential stain Boris Johnson has left on the party, Conservatives are relieved and even optimistic. However bad things were, the party seems to sincerely believe it can rebuild itself and that the leadership contest will allow it to reinvent itself after Johnson," the statement read on Thursday. 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government will not introduce new policies as Tory leader prepares for his departure. A meeting readout seen by broadcaster CNN states: "He [Johnson] made clear the government would not seek to implement new policies or make major changes of direction, rather it would focus on delivering the agenda on which the Government was elected. He said major fiscal decisions should be left for the next Prime Minister."

US President Joe Biden  will continue cooperation with the UK despite PM Boris Johnson's resignation, a statement posted to American broadcaster CNN read. Biden will continue “close cooperation with the government of the United Kingdom and other allies on a host of issues, including Ukraine," the outlet reported. The statement stressed that the United States and the United Kingdom relations have been “strong and enduring" and will continue to be so. 

UK Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab is not going to run as next Conservative leader, Britain’s PA news agency has reported. There were speculations about Raab being the next party leader as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation and informed that he will continue as the PM in caretaker capacity. 

“I’m not sure that anybody can look at Boris Johnson and conclude that he is capable of genuinely behaving as a caretaker prime minister. He will want to do things, and in the process of that undoubtedly cause more chaos than he has already," Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said.

“As for Mr Johnson, he dislikes us very much. We dislike him, too," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation on Thursday.

“The proposal for the prime minister to remain in office – for up to three months – having lost the support of his Cabinet, his government and his parliamentary party is unwise, and may be unsustainable," John Major, former Conservative UK prime minister, said.

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. Read Full Story.

Full text of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s resignation speech:

“It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new prime minister.

“And I’ve agreed with Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of our backbench MPs, that the process of choosing that new leader should begin now and the timetable will be announced next week.

“And I’ve today appointed a Cabinet to serve, as I will, until a new leader is in place.

“So I want to say to the millions of people who voted for us in 2019, many of them voting Conservative for the first time: Thank you for that incredible mandate, the biggest Conservative majority since 1987, the biggest share of the vote since 1979.

“And the reason I have fought so hard in the last few days to continue to deliver that mandate in person was not just because I wanted to do so, but because I felt it was my job, my duty, my obligation to you to continue to do what we promised in 2019.

“And of course, I’m immensely proud of the achievements of this government, from getting Brexit done to settling our relations with the continent for over half a century, reclaiming the power for this country to make its own laws in Parliament, getting us all through the pandemic, delivering the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe, the fastest exit from lockdown, and in the last few months, leading the West in standing up to Putin’s aggression in Ukraine.

“And let me say now, to the people of Ukraine, that I know that we in the U.K. will continue to back your fight for freedom for as long as it takes.

“And at the same time in this country, we’ve been pushing forward a vast program of investment in infrastructure and skills and technology — the biggest in a century. Because if I have one insight into human beings, it is that genius and talent and enthusiasm and imagination are evenly distributed throughout the population.

“But opportunity is not, and that’s why we must keep levelling up, keep unleashing the potential ever every part of the United Kingdom. And if we can do that, in this country, we will be the most prosperous in Europe.

“And in the last few days, I tried to persuade my colleagues that it would be eccentric to change governments when we’re delivering so much and when we have such a vast mandate and when we’re actually only a handful of points behind in the polls, even in mid-term after quite a few months of pretty relentless sledging and when the economic scene is so difficult domestically and internationally.

“And I regret not to have been successful in those arguments and of course it’s painful not to be able to see through so many ideas and projects myself.

“But as we’ve seen at Westminster, the herd instinct is powerful and when the herd moves, it moves.

“And my friends in politics, no-one is remotely indispensable and our brilliant and Darwinian system will produce another leader, equally committed to taking this country forward through tough times.

“Not just helping families to get through it, but changing and improving the way we do things, cutting burdens on businesses and families and yes, cutting taxes, because that is the way to generate the growth and the income we need to pay for great public services.

“And to that new leader, I say whoever he or she may be, I say I will give you as much support as I can. And to you, the British public.

“I know that there will be many people who are relieved and perhaps quite a few who will also be disappointed. And I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world.

“But them’s the breaks.

“I want to thank Carrie and our children, and all the members of my family who have had to put up with so much for so long.

“I want to thank the peerless British civil service for all the help and support that you have given our police, our emergency services and, of course, our fantastic NHS, who at critical moment, helped to extend my own period in office, as well as our armed services and our agencies that are so admired around the world.

“And our indefatigable Conservative Party members and supporters whose selfless campaigning makes our democracy possible. I want to thank the wonderful staff here at Chequers – here at Number 10, and of course at Chequers. And our fantastic prot force (protection force) detectives, the one group by the way, who never leak.

“Above all, I want to thank you, the British public, for the immense privilege that you have given me and I want you to know that from now on until the new prime minister is in place, your interests will be served and the government of the country will be carried on.

“Being prime minister is an education in itself. I have traveled to every part of the United Kingdom and, in addition to the beauty of our natural world, I have found so many people possessed of such boundless British originality and so willing to tackle old problems in new ways that I know that even if things can sometimes seem dark now, our future together is golden.

“Thank you all very much. Thank you.”

(AP)

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Thursday said there was a "widespread sense of relief" at Boris Johnson's resignation.

She also questioned whether it was "sustainable" for him to remain in the role until the autumn.

London residents shared their views Thursday after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed to resign. 

Susan Palm, a Conservative supporter, described Johnson as "a disgrace", adding that his actions are "very bad for the country."

"I am just surprised that it took him so long, really," said Himmat Dalyway, an investment trader, to Associated Press.

Big Issue seller Frank Thomas is not optimistic about developments in the country and thinks it could take up to two years "for things to get better."  But for now "things have to get really, really worse before they get better," he added. 

(AP)

As Boris Johnson resigns as Conservative Party leader, Home Secretary Priti Patel said that she will continue to lead the office to protect national security and keep citizens safe.

"At this critical time my duty is to continue to lead this Great Office of State, to protect the national security, and keep citizens of our country safe," Patel said.

"These are internal developments, we are keeping a close watch. PM Modi and PM Johnson enjoyed a close friendship. We have a multi-faceted partnership with the UK and we hope this will continue. We won't comment on leadership change," MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on the UK

British lawmaker Andrew Stephenson has appointed Minister without portfolio. The appointment was made minutes before UK PM Boris Johnson announced his resignation.

 Minutes after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said that he has made the right decision. She stated that the government under Johnson's leadership had many achievements.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said it is “clearly the will” of his Conservative Party that there should be a new leader as he announced his resignation.

Johnson said Thursday he will remain as British prime minister while a leadership contest is held to choose his successor.

Moments after the news broke on Thursday of Boris Johnson’s decision to step down as Conservative Party leader and therefore as the British Prime Minister after days of high political drama, the overwhelming reaction from different quarters was that of relief.

The opposition Labour Party led the jubilant reaction to the imminent end of the Johnson-led Tory government, declaring it “good news for the country”.

“It is good news for the country that Boris Johnson has resigned as Prime Minister. But it should have happened long ago. He was always unfit for office,” said Labour Leader Keir Starmer.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted there would be "a widespread sense of relief" that the "chaos" was coming to an end.

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said Johnson would "go down in history as a lying law-breaking Prime Minister, who abused the trust and patience of the British people." "He will leave a stain on the Conservative Party that can't be removed," she added.
 

Boris Johnson resigns as Tory leader. He said that the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party is that there should be a new leader of the party i.e Prime Minister.

British lawmaker Kit Malthouse has been promoted from Home Office to become Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is expected to resign shortly, has appointed James Cleverly as Secretary of State for Education.

British lawmaker Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had sacked Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove on Wednesday.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson's former chief political adviser Dominic Cumming says Johnson should be evicted today or he will cause carnage. He also suggested that deputy PM Dominic Raab should be named interim PM by this evening.

Investors have reacted positively to United Kingdown Prime Minister Boris Johnson's expected resignation. Sterling jumped 0.5 percent after reports suggested that Johnson will quit today.

Cutting short her trip to a G20 meeting in Indonesia, foreign Secretary Liz Truss is returning to London amid a political crisis in United Kingdom.

Amid reports of Boris Johnson's resignation, UK Foreign secretary Liz Truss is cutting a G20 visit to Indonesia short to return to the UK, as per UK media reports. She had arrived in Indonesia only Yesterday.

Officials in diplomats are concerned that the next UK PM would be "even worse" for Brussels after Boris Johnson brought about the historic change of Brexit, reported BBC. Johnson has not been a popular figure in the bloc which went through significant changes under the Conservative leader's premiership. 

Boris Johnson has been making a flurry of arguments to MPs as to why he should stay in office. He has said that electing a new leader would trigger a snap election. But, The Guardian has noted that the new Tory leader would still have a working majority of around 70. This means that though Labour can demand an election, the new leader would have the authority to refuse it. 

Moreover, even if elections do take place, UK PM Johnson has argued that he was “almost certain” Tory defeat him. But, having a new leader will probably improve the party’s chances at the next election. According to Johnson, the Labour government could lock out Tories from power for decades. While some Labour MPs might bat for proportional representation, the party is committed to first past the post and did little to support the campaign for the alternative vote in 2011. 

Reportedly, the pound was trading marginally higher on the news that Boris Johnson will step down as a Conservative leader and the UK Prime Minister. Sterling spiked 0.6% at 1.198 US dollars and 0.4% stronger at 1.174 euros

Boris Johnson is battered by a resignation spree and over 50 junior and senior officials have already handed over their letters demanding “honesty” in UK politics. The mass resignations were triggered by the fallout from the resignation that took place last Thursday when Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher stepped down from his post amid allegations of sexual misconduct. He was accused of groping at least two guests at a private dinner on June 29. 

However, what intensified problems for Johnson were the contortions that Downing Street officers gave in a bid to explain the minister was in that position in the first place. In the light of Pincher’s resignation, his sexual misconduct in the past had emerged and Downing Street claimed that Johnson had no clue about the allegations against the minister. The questionable conducts of Pincher were from the time he was a Foreign Officer minister.

But eventually, the UK PM's team revealed that Johnson knew about previous allegations against Pincher and that they were “resolved”. Then, when it came to light that one of the accusations against the minister was upheld, Johnson’s spokesperson reportedly explained that “resolved” could refer to the case being upheld. This was followed by Simon McDonald, the former top civil servant at the Foreign Office revealing that the UK PM wsa briefed in person about the outcome of an investigation into Pincher’s misconduct. 

McDonald’s statement on Tuesday morning triggered key ministers from Johnson’s cabinet to hand over their resignations. The UK PM on July 5 had also said that he had forgotten about being told of allegations against Pincher. But, two key members of the British government, health secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced their resignations and more than two dozen officials followed suit. 

Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on whether UK PM Boris Johnson has spoken with Queen Elizabeth II, ITV News had reported that a conversation did take place between both of them. The Queen is reported to be at Windsor Castle and the Court Circular recorded that she held her weekly audience by telephone with Johnson on Wednesday evening. According to the procedure, the British monarch needs to be informed if PM is to resign.

First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon also responded to UK PM quitting and said, "There will be a widespread sense of relief that the chaos of the last few days (indeed months) will come to an end, though notion of Boris Johnson staying on as PM until autumn seems far from ideal, and surely not sustainable?"

Lib Dems leader Ed Davey said, "The idea that the Conservatives might make Boris Johnson caretaker for anything is frankly ludicrous. The man's never taken care of anything in his life". Meanwhile, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said, "We don’t need to change the Tory at the top – we need a proper change of government. We need a fresh start for Britain."

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's former press secretary, Will Walden told Sky News "All I can say is 'thank God'". He added, "He has finally done the right thing, but what a farce. To be dragged kicking and screaming like he is an embarrassment."

"This is all totally unnecessary, the writing was on the wall, as I assume he is going to have to reappoint people to cabinet and not give new jobs to people – that would be the right thing to do," he added.

The 58th official to resign from Johnson's government is Richard Graham who said, "I resigned, after serving three Prime Ministers for 10 years as their Trade Envoy, earlier this morning. Trust is everything. To all my friends in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, more widely across ASEAN & in our missions there FCDO/DIT here simply an enormous thank you". He served as a trade envoy for most of South East Asia.
 

The news of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreeing to resign from his post came as the total number of British government officials stepping down mounted to 57. Moreover, one of their closest aides of Johnson, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has also withdrawn support from UK PM but has denied resigning. 

He said: "A number of us have an obligation to keep this country safe, no matter who is PM. The party has a mechanism to change leaders & that is the mechanism which I advise colleagues to use. 

"The public would not forgive us if we left these offices of state empty.

"A number of us have an obligation to keep this country safe, no matter who is PM. The Party has a mechanism to change leaders and that is the mechanism which I advise colleagues to use. In the meantime, the public would not forgive us if we left these offices of state empty." 

Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson's former chief adviser, said in the last few moments that "inside the bunker, they're saying it's over".  He added that the cabinet secretary is "organising process" for a new prime minister to be elected" and that "Regime change is here".

It is also being reported that Boris Johnson spoke with 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady. A No10 spokesperson confirmed that Johnson will stand down. A new Conservative Party leader is set to be installed by the time of the party conference in October, a Downing Street source said.

George Freeman, who was a minister until this morning in UK, has called for a caretaker prime minister. Accoirding to Sky News, he said: "Boris Johnson needs to hand in the seals of office, apologise to Her Majesty & advise her to call for a caretaker prime minister. 

"To take over today so that ministers can get back to work & we can choose a new Conservative leader to try & repair the damage & rebuild trust."

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’, the report added.

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 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. 

Boris Johnson is expected to make a statement later today after reports emerged stating that he has agreed to resign. A No 10 spokesman told BBC: "The prime minister will make a statement to the country today."

Outgoing UK PM Boris Johnson will make a statement to the country later today, SKY News quoted 10 Downing Street spokesperson as saying. 

The decision came immediately after UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace withdrew support for Johnson.