Johnson’s 3-year tenure was marked by continued bending of rules.
QUICK FACTS:
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation on Thursday following a widespread revolt by top members of government.
- Johnson was in office for three years, during which time he was reported to have “brazenly bent and sometimes broke” rules of British politics.
- The 58-year-old politician took Britain out of the European Union and was at the helm when the country coped with COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine.
- Johnson also stepped down as the leader of the Conservative Party but said he would remain in his position as prime minister until a successor was chosen.
- Some possible replacements for the outgoing prime minister are former Health Secretary Sajid Javid, former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.
SCANDALS DURING JOHNSON’S TERM:
- Johnson finally conceded power after one of his closest allies, Treasury chief Nadhim Zahawi, publicly called for his resignation: “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,” Johnson said.“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.”
- The move came after mass resignations cause parliamentary businesses to come to a halt because there were no representatives to speak for the government: “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,” Johnson said.
BACKGROUND:
- Johnson was the subject of a number of scandals, including accusations that he was too close to party donors and that he was part of bullying and corruption in government.
- More recently, Johnson’s office reportedly refused a Freedom of Information request to provide “copies of all correspondence between Boris Johnson and the World Economic Forum from 1st January 2020 up until the current date.”
