British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigns

London: Boris Johnson has been forced to quit as British prime minister after just three years following the dramatic resignations of more than 50 members of his government in three days.

Johnson on Thursday evening conceded the mass mutiny had made his position untenable but lashed out at the “herd mentality” of his colleagues, saying it was “eccentric” to change leaders when voters had given the government a “vast mandate” only two-and-a-half years ago.

He will remain as a caretaker prime minister while a Conservative leadership election takes place and has pledged his support to whomever replaces him in the role.

In a stereotypically upbeat appearance outside Downing Street, Johnson said he had tried to persuade his colleagues against removing him when his government was “delivering so much” and was “actually only a handful of points behind in the polls”.

“As we have seen at Westminster, the herd instinct is powerful and when the herd moves, it moves. And, my friends in politics, no one is remotely indispensable, and our brilliant Darwinian system will produce another leader, equally committed to taking this country forward through tough times.”

He said he knew that there would be “many people who are relieved and perhaps quite a few who will also be disappointed” with his decision to leave.

Boris Johnson announcing his resignation.Credit: Getty Images

“I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world,” he said. “But them’s the breaks.”

Johnson has been engulfed in scandals of sleaze and allegations of lying for the past nine months, including the so-called partygate affair which led to a Metropolitan police probe over 12 social gatherings which took place in 10 Downing Street between May 2020 and April 2021 while the country was under strict coronavirus lockdown measures. Johnson himself was fined for attending his own surprise birthday party.

His resignation marks the end of a political career in which he spearheaded the successful Vote Leave campaign in 2016 which led to Britain’s exit from the European Union in 2016, but also delivered a historic 80-seat majority in a general election victory in 2019.

The final blow to Johnson’s leadership came early on Thursday morning in London, when Nadhim Zahawi, who became chancellor only 36 hours before, said that he had told the prime minister to “go now” and warned him he was undermining his record by refusing to resign.

People protest outside the British parliament as Boris Johnson dug his heels in on Wednesday.Credit: AP

“Prime minister, you know in your heart what the right thing to do is, and go now,” he wrote. “The country deserves a government that is not only stable, but which acts with integrity.”

Moments earlier Brandon Lewis, Northern Ireland secretary and once a loyal Johnson supporter, had said he was quitting and that the government was no longer being run based on “honesty, integrity and mutual respect”.

His resignation makes him the third prime minister to quit since the Conservatives first won power under David Cameron in 2010. Cameron left office in 2016 after ending up on the wrong side of the Brexit vote and was replaced by Theresa May, who lasted just three years before she was forced out by Tory MPs.

Johnson survived a no-confidence vote by 63 votes last month, but party whips believe that majority would be swept away if another were to be held now.

The former mayor of London had defied calls from a delegation of cabinet ministers to make a “dignified” exit and said that he was “100 per cent ready” to fight a second confidence vote.

He had told the House of Commons less than 24 hours earlier that he had “a colossal mandate” from the people at the 2019 general election, implying this mattered more than growing ranks of Tory MPs who had quit the frontbench and were now sitting behind him. He said would “keep going”.

Allies of Johnson claimed his resignation would lead to a general election that would involve Labour forming a coalition with the Scottish National Party, which could lock the Tories out of power for decades. Johnson had told colleagues he was acting for the good of the country rather than for self-interest.

The tipping point this week, which triggered the resignations of chancellor Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid on Tuesday, was the latest scandal surrounding Tory MP Chris Pincher, who quit last week as deputy chief whip following accusations that he assaulted two men while drunk.

Downing Street initially said Johnson was not aware of any previous allegations of misconduct when he gave Pincher the key government post in February, but his office later backtracked to acknowledge that Johnson knew about an investigation that upheld similar complaints in 2019.

The Conservatives were trounced at two byelections last month, both of which were caused by the resignations of MPs who were forced to resign in separate sleaze scandals. The party lost the Devon seat of Tiverton and Honiton to the Lib Dems, and Wakefield to Labour.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was “good news for the country” but it “should have happened long ago”.

“He was always unfit for office. He has been responsible for lies, scandal and fraud on an industrial scale. And all those who have been complicit should be utterly ashamed,” he said in a statement.

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