Dina Mahmoud (London)
After 48 hours of frantic political moves, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced yesterday his resignation from his position as CEO of the Conservative Party, and his intention to give up the premiership, following choosing a successor to the party leadership, in a move that was rejected by his opponents, who demanded him. immediate exit from the scene.
In a brief televised speech in front of the Prime Minister’s office in 10 Downing Street in the heart of London, Johnson said it had become clear that the “will” of Conservative MPs in the House of Commons was moving towards choosing a new leader, in reference to the wave of rebellion that his party had witnessed since the evening. Last Tuesday, it was embodied in the resignation of dozens of ministers and prominent officials from the government, and many members of Parliament withdrew their support for it.
Johnson justified his refusal for two whole days to respond to the demands made once morest him to resign, saying that he was “sluggish” in making this decision, given his keenness to fulfill what was dictated by the “mandate” granted to him by the voters, referring to the recent legislative elections, in which he led the Conservative Party. To achieve a major parliamentary victory over his rival “Labour”, with a majority described as the largest since 1989. The issue of Britain’s exit from the European Union “Brexit”, in December 2019, dominated his presidency.
In his speech, which lasted no more than six minutes, the British Prime Minister acknowledged the failure of his attempts to convince his ministers opposing him that the resignation of a government with such a majority would be a “strange matter”, considering that the insistence of many ministers and MPs to give up his position is due to ” The “herd mentality” that prevailed in the corridors of the government.
Johnson had anticipated the speech, by appointing new ministers to replace their resigned counterparts, led by the Ministers of Treasury Rishi Sunak and Health Sajid Javid, who are among the potential candidates to succeed him, along with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs Liz Truss, Defense Ben Wallace and Commerce Benny Mordent, in addition to the Minister of Health. Former Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt and Attorney General Suella Braverman.
In statements he made later during a meeting of the new cabinet formation, Johnson said that the government should continue to perform its work, but at the same time indicated that he did not intend to implement “new policies” or adopt approaches that involve “significant changes” in the government. The track, before his planned relinquishment of his position, following choosing a new leader for the “conservatives.”
While informed British sources revealed that the procedures for electing the new leader of the party will begin next Monday, with a meeting expected to be held by the party committee concerned with this file, known as the “1922 Committee”, to determine the necessary timetable for this, Conservative and Labor MPs and prominent political figures confirmed Their refusal to keep Johnson as prime minister until the completion of that process, which may extend to next September.
They, including former Prime Minister John Major, said Johnson should leave the government immediately “for the good of the country”, to allow a caretaker prime minister to take office, pending a possible early general election.
In turn, the leader of the opposition “Labour” Party, Keir Starmer, warned that his party may resort to calling for a vote in the House of Commons, to withdraw confidence from the current government, if the “Conservatives” did not move to force its president to leave immediately, saying, The current situation ” It cannot continue.”
Analysts say Johnson was counting on his “partial resignation”, announced yesterday, to contain the wave of violent rebellion that erupted in his party during the past few days, following admitting his mistake in appointing Chris by publishing the accused of harassment, responsible in the government for discipline. Parliamentary Conservative MPs.
However, the initial reactions to Johnson’s last speech suggest that he has not yet regained control of the party, whose popularity had already declined over the past months, due to the crises and scandals that afflicted the government, including the participation of its president and a number of his senior aides, in parties held at the headquarters of the government. Official during the quarantine period, which was applied to limit the spread of the Corona epidemic.
In addition, the Johnson government is accused of being responsible for the deterioration of the economic situation in Britain, once morest the background of the consequences of the epidemic and the crisis in Ukraine.
