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Collective resignation of government officials deepens Boris Johnson crisis

Britain’s Boris Johnson tries to cling to power on Wednesday as support melts away from the increasingly isolated prime minister, badly hurt by the resignation of a number of high-ranking colleagues who said he was not. fit to rule.

There are now at least 17 members of the UK government who have asked to leave.

Johnson’s finance and health secretaries resigned on Tuesday night after the latest scandal hit the government, prompting the departure of government officials and a withdrawal of support from loyal lawmakers.

With the tide of layoffs rising, some questioned whether the prime minister could fill the vacancies.

List of resignations in the Boris Johnson administration:

Wednesday (6):

  • Jo Churchill, Junior Minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
  • Victoria Atkins, Junior Minister of the Interior
  • John Glen, Minister of Financial Services
  • Felicity Buchan, Secretary in the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
  • Will Quince, Minister for Children and Families
  • Laura Trott, Secretary of the Department of Transport
  • Robin Walker, Minister of State for School Standards

Tuesday (5):

  • Rishi Sunak, Minister of Finance
  • Sajid Javid, Minister of Health
  • Bim Afolami, Vice President of the Conservative Party
  • Saqib Bhatti, secretary in the Department of Health and Social Care
  • Jonathan Gullis, Secretary at the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
  • Nicola Richards, secretary at the Department of Transportation
  • Alex Chalk, Attorney General of England and Wales
  • Virginia Crosbie, Secretary to the Welsh Cabinet
  • Andrew Murrison, Trade Envoy in Morocco
  • Theo Clarke, trade envoy in Kenya

Johnson sought to reassert authority by quickly appointing Nadhim Zahawi as finance minister.

But as former Education Secretary Zahawi prepared on Wednesday morning to set the government’s priorities, he was confronted with news of new layoffs.

Attorney General Alex Chalk, the government’s second most senior legal adviser, said the cumulative effect of a string of scandals has made the public no longer believe the government can maintain expected standards of candor.

“I regret that I share this judgment,” he said.

The level of hostility Johnson faces within his party is highlighted as he answers questions in parliament on Wednesday and, later, in front of selected committee chairs for a two-hour interrogation.

“I suspect we will have to drag him kicking and screaming from Downing Street,” a Conservative lawmaker told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. “But if we have to do it this way, then we will.”

Johnson, a former journalist and mayor of London who became the face of Britain’s exit from the European Union, won a landslide election victory in 2019 before taking a combative and often chaotic approach to government.

His leadership has been mired in scandals and mistakes in recent months, with the prime minister fined by police for violating Covid-19 lockdown laws and a damning report published on the behavior of employees in his Downing Street office who violated their own laws. blocking rules.

There have also been political upheavals, an ill-fated defense of a lawmaker who broke lobbying rules and criticism that he has not done enough to tackle a cost-of-living crisis, with many Britons struggling to cope with rising fuel and food prices. prices.

The Times of London newspaper said Johnson’s “serial dishonesty” was “utterly corrosive” to effective government.

“Each day he stays, the sense of chaos deepens,” he said. “For the good of the country, he must go.”

The latest drama crisis at the heart of British power comes as the economy deteriorates rapidly, with some economists warning that the country could slip into recession.

Loss of confidence

The latest scandal saw Johnson apologizing for naming a lawmaker to a role involved in the welfare and discipline of the party, even after being told the politician had been the subject of complaints about sexual misconduct.

The Downing Street narrative changed several times about what the prime minister knew about the politician’s past behavior, who was forced to resign, and when he learned of it. His spokesman blamed a lapse in Johnson’s memory.

This prompted Rishi Sunak to step down as Chancellor of the Exchequer – Minister of Finance – and Sajid Javid to resign as Minister of Health, while others left their ministerial or envoy positions.

“It is clear to me that this situation will not change under your leadership – and therefore you have lost my trust as well,” Javid said in his resignation letter.

Several of the ministers cited Johnson’s lack of judgment, standards and inability to tell the truth.

A YouGov flash poll found that 69% of Britons thought Johnson should step down as prime minister, but for now, the rest of his top ministerial team offered their support.

“I fully support the prime minister,” said Scottish secretary Alister Jack. “I am sorry to see good colleagues resign, but we have a lot of work to do.”

A month ago, Johnson survived a confidence vote by Conservative lawmakers, and party rules mean he cannot face another such challenge for a year.

However, some lawmakers are trying to change those rules, while he is also under investigation by a parliamentary committee over whether he lied to parliament about Covid-19 lockdown violations.

If Johnson leaves, the process to replace him could take a few months.

Just two-and-a-half years ago, the effervescent Johnson won a massive parliamentary majority on a promise to resolve Britain’s exit from the European Union after years of bitter disputes.

But since then, its initial handling of the pandemic has been widely criticized and the government has stumbled from one situation to another.

Johnson’s combative approach to the European Union has also weighed on the pound, exacerbating inflation that is expected to exceed 11%.

“After all the scorn, scandals and failure, it’s clear this government is collapsing,” said Labor leader Keir Starmer.

Source: CNN Brasil

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