Boris Johnson announced plans to resign as prime minister of the United Kingdom on Thursday in a tumultuous end for a government that once enjoyed a strong democratic mandate.
Johnson’s roughly three-year tenure ended in disarray after he threatened a standoff with his party and a possible general election following the resignation of 42 ministers who deemed his position "untenable." He says new leadership is "clearly now the will" of Parliament.
Johnson hopes to remain in a caretaker position as his Conservative Party elects a new prime minister, a process that may take roughly two months.
Conservative ministers declared that they had lost confidence in the prime minister after news emerged he had elevated Chris Pincher to the powerful role of deputy chief whip despite allegations of sexual misconduct.
But it was not the only scandal that Johnson’s government had to wrangle with. It was merely the final one that ministers could tolerate, bringing an end to his sole ambition and goal in politics.
"Boris Johnson’s place in history is assured given his stewardship of Brexit, vaccine rollout during the COVID-19 crisis and staunch defense of the free world in Ukraine," Alan Mendoza, co-founder and executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital.
"His personal foibles were known to all before he came to office and have always been part and parcel of his offering. They will not affect the reality that he has got the big calls right and has always confounded his critics in doing so."
The prime minister also had displayed Churchillian support for Ukraine during the Russian invasion, earning him plaudits at a time when he otherwise struggled for positive press. The highs and lows of his run to the leadership — and his eventual fall — will ensure he remains a figure of enduring fascination and interest in both British and global politics.
ohnson achieved his most high-profile platform to date as a leading figure in the pro-Brexit movement, pushing for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. He favored a "no-deal" exit from the union, which many criticized as laying the groundwork for chaos, but he stayed his course and refused to compromise.
But the good feelings did not last as Johnson’s government almost immediately faced the challenge of managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Johnson pursued strict lockdown measures but faced a constant back and forth over his support for such policies as time went on. He initially claimed that the virus would disappear after 12 weeks and reintroduced measures after initially removing them too quickly.
Revelations of wild parties in government offices during the strictest lockdown measures drew strong anger from the public. The "Partygate" fiasco revealed a culture of partying and rule breaking throughout the pandemic, with senior civil servant Sue Gray calling the gatherings "a serious failure" to observe the standards expected of those working in government.
Johnson’s ability to deflect the most serious scandals — which some compared to political Teflon — started to fail him as he could not dismiss or duck the outcry over the parties.
EUROPEAN SUPPORT FOR UKRAINIAN RECOVERY MAY RELY ON COUNTRY REFORMING ‘SOCIAL POLICIES’
The scandal resulted in the worst polling figures in years for the Conservative Party, showing in May that if a general election occurred, the party would lose control of the government. The scandals and new data prompted a "no confidence" vote, but Johnson survived one last time.
He immediately faced two fresh controversies that appeared to completely destroy any remaining faith and support he had. A report by Private Eye alleged that aides walked in on Johnson receiving oral sex from then-aide and future wife Carrie Symonds in 2018 while he served as foreign secretary. There was also the sex scandal involving Pinter.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/boris-johnsons-resignation-caps-tumultuous-tenure
Johnson had the chance to take full control of those negotiations after leading a vote to oust then-Prime Minister Theresa May and winning control of both the party and the country in 2019. His government got off to a strong start as negotiators secured a post-Brexit free trade deal with the EU shortly before the Jan. 1 2021 deadline, which Johnson claimed had given the U.K. control over its future.
Johnson’s roughly three-year tenure ended in disarray after he threatened a standoff with his party and a possible general election following the resignation of 42 ministers who deemed his position "untenable." He says new leadership is "clearly now the will" of Parliament.
Johnson hopes to remain in a caretaker position as his Conservative Party elects a new prime minister, a process that may take roughly two months.
Conservative ministers declared that they had lost confidence in the prime minister after news emerged he had elevated Chris Pincher to the powerful role of deputy chief whip despite allegations of sexual misconduct.
But it was not the only scandal that Johnson’s government had to wrangle with. It was merely the final one that ministers could tolerate, bringing an end to his sole ambition and goal in politics.
"Boris Johnson’s place in history is assured given his stewardship of Brexit, vaccine rollout during the COVID-19 crisis and staunch defense of the free world in Ukraine," Alan Mendoza, co-founder and executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital.
"His personal foibles were known to all before he came to office and have always been part and parcel of his offering. They will not affect the reality that he has got the big calls right and has always confounded his critics in doing so."
The prime minister also had displayed Churchillian support for Ukraine during the Russian invasion, earning him plaudits at a time when he otherwise struggled for positive press. The highs and lows of his run to the leadership — and his eventual fall — will ensure he remains a figure of enduring fascination and interest in both British and global politics.
ohnson achieved his most high-profile platform to date as a leading figure in the pro-Brexit movement, pushing for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. He favored a "no-deal" exit from the union, which many criticized as laying the groundwork for chaos, but he stayed his course and refused to compromise.
But the good feelings did not last as Johnson’s government almost immediately faced the challenge of managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Johnson pursued strict lockdown measures but faced a constant back and forth over his support for such policies as time went on. He initially claimed that the virus would disappear after 12 weeks and reintroduced measures after initially removing them too quickly.
Revelations of wild parties in government offices during the strictest lockdown measures drew strong anger from the public. The "Partygate" fiasco revealed a culture of partying and rule breaking throughout the pandemic, with senior civil servant Sue Gray calling the gatherings "a serious failure" to observe the standards expected of those working in government.
Johnson’s ability to deflect the most serious scandals — which some compared to political Teflon — started to fail him as he could not dismiss or duck the outcry over the parties.
EUROPEAN SUPPORT FOR UKRAINIAN RECOVERY MAY RELY ON COUNTRY REFORMING ‘SOCIAL POLICIES’
The scandal resulted in the worst polling figures in years for the Conservative Party, showing in May that if a general election occurred, the party would lose control of the government. The scandals and new data prompted a "no confidence" vote, but Johnson survived one last time.
He immediately faced two fresh controversies that appeared to completely destroy any remaining faith and support he had. A report by Private Eye alleged that aides walked in on Johnson receiving oral sex from then-aide and future wife Carrie Symonds in 2018 while he served as foreign secretary. There was also the sex scandal involving Pinter.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/boris-johnsons-resignation-caps-tumultuous-tenure
Johnson had the chance to take full control of those negotiations after leading a vote to oust then-Prime Minister Theresa May and winning control of both the party and the country in 2019. His government got off to a strong start as negotiators secured a post-Brexit free trade deal with the EU shortly before the Jan. 1 2021 deadline, which Johnson claimed had given the U.K. control over its future.
