The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, refuses to leave office, despite the resignation of prominent members of his Government and pressure from his parliamentary group, who believe that he should resign from his mandate.
Neither the resignation of prominent members of his government nor the pressure from his parliamentary group have convinced the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, that he must leave office, to which he clings against all odds to be the one who decides how and when his term ends.
According to the British network BBC, Johnson has told his ministers at a meeting this Wednesday at his official residence and office in Downing Street that it is “very important” that he remain “focused on the challenges” facing the United Kingdom, despite the fact that now itself has practically run out of equipment to be able to approach them.
He has told them that, if he resigns, the next few months will be focused on the elections within the Conservative Party to replace him, instead of on the work of government, after which his successor would come under pressure to call a general election that Labor might win.
Johnson’s main argument for staying in office is that he won “colossal” support from the electorate in the December 12, 2019 elections and that “what is responsible” is to continue fulfilling his program, he told the Link Commission today. the House of Commons.
Boris Johnson remains defiant
The “tory” leader currently maintains a “defiant” attitude, according to the BBC, despite the fact that a good number of his ministers has asked him this afternoon to resign, given the crisis in his formation and in the Government.
An aide of his, James Duddridge, has declared that his boss is “in a buoyant mood” and that he plans to make appointments tomorrow and plans a major economic announcement with the new head of the Economy, Nadhim Zahawi, appointed on Tuesday to replace the resigning Rishi Sunak. .
In the last 24 hours, in addition to Sunak, the head of Health, Sajid Javid, and 39 other ministerial positions have resigned, while a good part of his parliamentary group has withdrawn their support.
The ministers who visited Downing Street today to tell him to leave are, among others, the Minister of the Interior, Priti Patel; the minister for Wales, Simon Hart; Transportation, Grant Shapps, and Zahawi himself.
Also appearing would be Michelle Donelan, newly appointed head of Health in place of Javid, and the head of international trade, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, as well as the Minister for Business, Kwasi Kwarteng, and the head of Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis.
Michael Gove, head of Territorial Cohesion, already asked Johnson hours before to leave office and, according to the British media, he has been dismissed.
Johnson also has some remaining allies, such as Culture Minister Nadine Dorries; the head of Brexit Opportunities, Jacob Rees-Mogg, and perhaps now also Zahawi.
The position of the Minister of Justice and number two in the Government, Dominic Raab, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Liz Truss, both close collaborators and the latter presumably with aspirations to succeed him, is unknown.
Deputies’ maneuvers
If he does not resign on his own, it is possible that the 1922 Committee, chaired by Graham Brady and which groups the “tory” parliamentary group, will change the rules to force an internal vote of no confidence once it holds elections to its board of directors at the beginning of the next week.
Johnson already passed one on June 6 -with 41% of deputies against- and the current rules prevent another from being called in twelve months.
If he lost the motion, the 58-year-old politician would have to resign as leader of the Conservatives and at the head of the Government, which would start a primary election process to choose his replacement.
During a turbulent appearance this Wednesday before the Link commission, Johnson assured that he will not call early elections, while predicting that “of course” he will continue to be prime minister tomorrow.