LIVE | Boris Johnson appears before the British Parliament and says that he wants to “move on”

British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, weakened by the resignation of thirty members of his government in a context of growing scandals, defended on Wednesday that he will continue in a position that increasingly hangs in the balance. At the weekly question session in Parliament, he launched into a chaotic defense of his achievements since he came into government and the problems that remain to be solved, such as the pressing cost-of-living crisis.

“The job of a prime minister in difficult circumstances, when a colossal mandate has been received, is to carry on and that is what I am going to do,” he claimed.

opposition leader, Labor Keir Starmer accused him of giving a “pathetic show” in “the last act of his political career”.

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On Tuesday night, the health ministers, Sajid Javid, and Finance, Rishi SunakThey announced their resignations almost at the same time. They were followed by 27 other members of the government, of lower rank, in an incessant bloodletting on Wednesday of secretaries of state.

“In good faith, we must ask you, for the good of the party and the country, to step aside,” five of them wrote in a joint letter of resignation.

Other members of the executive, faithful to Johnson, defended the political balance of their leader that, in an appearance before a committee formed by the presidents of the different parliamentary commissions, ruled out calling early elections.

“I really don’t think anyone in this country wants politicians to be campaigning now. And I think we need to continue to serve our voters and take care of the issues that they care about,” he stated.

“Integrity” of government

The resignations of Javid and Sunak, two heavyweights of the executive and the party, took place hours after Johnson apologized for the umpteenth time, acknowledging that he made a “mistake” by appointing Chris Pincher, a conservative official, to an important parliamentary position. that last week he resigned accused of touching, while intoxicated, two men, one of them a deputy.

Having claimed otherwise, Downing Street acknowledged on Tuesday that the prime minister had been informed in 2019 of earlier allegations against Pincher but had “forgotten” them.

The British expect the government to behave in a “competent” and “serious” manner, “this is why I am resigning,” Sunak wrote. For his part, Javid considered that the British need “integrity from their government.”

According to a poll conducted on Wednesday by the Savanta ComRes cabinet, three out of five Conservative voters believe that Johnson cannot regain public confidence and 72% think he should resign.

Maneuver against Johnson

From the so-called “partygate”, the scandal over the parties organized in Downing Street that violated the anticovid rules in 2020 and 2021, to the irregular financing of the luxurious reform of his official residence, going through accusations of cronyism, the scandals do not stop growing around Johnson .

Champion of the 2019 legislative elections, when he achieved the most important conservative majority in decades thanks to the promise to carry out Brexit, the prime minister is now plummeting in the polls.

According to polls, a majority of Britons consider him a “liar”.

He is going to be investigated by a parliamentary commission to determine if he knowingly deceived the deputies when in December he denied the celebration of parties during the confinements.

And the fact that he claimed to be unaware of the accusations against Pincher, when many claimed otherwise, and ended up acknowledging his “forgetfulness” reinforces the accusations that the prime minister is playing with the truth.

Recent electoral setbacks, the latest on June 23 in two midterm elections, are convincing a growing number of rebels in the Conservative Party that Johnson can no longer lead them to a new general election in 2024.

The prime minister survived a vote of confidence launched in early June in an attempt to remove him from power.

Supported by 211 of his 359 legislators, he saved the post, but the 148 votes against him made it clear that discontent continues to grow.

The rules of the party establish that this procedure cannot be repeated during the next year, but many within it already demand a change to immediately try another maneuver against Johnson.

Source: Elcomercio

Ronald Payne

I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.