Boris Johnson’s Government Faces Potential Collapse as Top Ministers Quit

Boris Johnson’s government is facing potential collapse following the resignations of two high-profile ministers who have stepped down in protest of the U.K. prime minister’s conduct amid numerous scandals.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid — both of whom, historically, have been close to the prime minister — resigned from their roles on Tuesday evening, local time, in the span of 30 minutes. Their resignations follow revelations that Johnson appointed disgraced Member of Parliament Chris Pincher as his deputy chief whip despite being aware of previous allegations of sexual misconduct against Pincher.

Pincher was accused of groping two men at a Tory event at London’s Carlton Club and resigned last week. A wave of prior misconduct allegations about the MP have since followed. Johnson denied for days that he was aware of the allegations, but admitted on Tuesday evening that he knew three years ago of a complaint made against Pincher in the Foreign Office. Sunak and Javid’s resignations followed in short order.

“I am instinctively a team player but the British people also rightly expect integrity from their Government,” said Javid in his resignation letter, as reported by the BBC. “The tone you set as a leader, and the values you represent, reflect on your colleagues, your party and ultimately the country. Conservatives at their best are seen as hard-headed decision makers, guided by strong values. We may not have always been popular, but we have been competent in acting in the national interest.”

Continued Javid: “Sadly, in the current circumstances, the public are concluding that we are now neither. The vote of confidence last month showed that a large number of our colleagues agree. It was a moment for humility, grip and a new direction. I regret to say, however, that it is clear to me that this situation will not change under your leadership — and you have therefore lost my confidence too.”

Meanwhile, Sunak — who as Chancellor of the Exchequer oversees public spending as the government’s finance minister — in his letter echoed some of Javid’s concerns.

“The publicly rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously. I recognize this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning,” said Sunak.

Sunak, who was once a potential candidate for the PM job, was also engulfed in scandal earlier this year, when it was revealed that his wife, the daughter of an Indian millionaire, hadn’t been paying taxes on her overseas income thanks to her non-domicile tax status. It also came out that Sunak had held on to his U.S. green card almost two years into his role as chancellor.

The Pincher brouhaha comes on the heels of the Partygate scandal, which involved a series of parties held at 10 Downing Street — Johnson’s office as well as his private home — and attended by top government officials during the strictest period of the U.K.’s lockdown. A number of photographs have shown the British prime minister in attendance at these gatherings.

Johnson faced a no-confidence vote last month, and emerged victorious though only by a narrow margin. In the final June 5 vote, 211 Conservative MPs voted for Johnson while 148 voted against. He needed 180 votes for him to remain in office.

Source: Read Full Article

Previous post NASA encounters 'communication issues' with moon-bound CAPSTONE
Next post 'My Abortion Saved My Life': Halsey Talks Roe v. Wade, Motherhood in New Essay