(CNN Spanish) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has created a political crisis in the country He announced his resignation as leader of the Conservative Party, A series of scandals engulfed his government, leading to his eventual replacement as Prime Minister.
The Conservative Party must now decide internally who will be its leader, a process that could take months. Boris Johnson Will be replaced as Prime Minister of United Kingdom (More on this process, here).
How did it get to this point, and why did Johnson decide to resign?
Why Boris Johnson resigned: Persuasion
The The immediate cause of the crisis Johnson’s resignation led to the resignation of Vice President Chris Fincher last Thursday, amid allegations that he groped two guests at a private party the night before.
Although he did not directly admit to the allegations, Pincher did said In the letter to Johnson: “I drank too much last night” and “embarrassed myself and others”.
What put Johnson in a big bind were the shenanigans of his administration’s press officers who tried to explain why Fincher was in government in the first place.
Initially, when new reports of Mr. Fincher’s past misconduct emerged in light of his resignation, Downing Street denied that the Prime Minister had any knowledge of the allegations, which arose during Mr. Fincher’s tenure as foreign secretary.
When it became clear that this was not sustainable, Johnson’s team said they were aware of the past allegations, but that they were “exhausted”.
When one of the previously unreported charges against Pincher appeared to be settled, Johnson’s spokesman explained that “resolved” meant confirmed.
On Tuesday morning, Simon MacDonald, a former Foreign Office official, said Johnson had been told in person about the outcome of the investigation into Fincher’s conduct.
A wave of resignations begins in Boris Johnson’s government
On the same Tuesday and after hearing this news, Health Minister Sajid Javid and Economy Minister Rishi Sunak They resigned After days of pressure on Downing Street over how allegations of sexual misconduct by a government member were handled.
“The public expects government to act properly, efficiently and seriously.” said Sunak in his resignation letter.
“I recognize that this is my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for, and that is why I am resigning.”
Javid, meanwhile, wrote, “It has been a great privilege to serve in this position, but I truly regret not being able to continue.” Mr Javid added that last month’s confidence vote in the prime minister was “a moment of humility, grip and new direction”.
“However, it is clear to me that this situation will not change under your leadership, so I regret that you have lost my trust as well.” wrote Javid.
Minutes before Sunak and Javid announced their resignations, Johnson admitted it was a “mistake” to appoint Pincher to his government.
But the resignations didn’t stop there
Saqib Bhatti, Parliamentary Private Secretary to former Health Minister Sajid Javid. continuously He resigned on Tuesday night, along with Jonathan Cullis, the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. General A resignation letter on social media said it was “with a heavy heart”.
Also, the Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party, Bim Afolami, He resigned Prime Minister Boris Johnson appeared on live television after admitting he was aware of previous allegations against Chris Fincher.
Overall, there were more 50 members of Govt Those who resigned from their posts included Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis, Treasury Secretary for Finance Helen Wadley and Defense Minister Damian Hinds.
This Thursday, Boris Johnson finally announced his resignation as leader of the Conservative Party, marking the end of his term as Prime Minister.
A long history of scandals
For months, Johnson faced a barrage of criticism about his behavior and the behavior of his government Illegal parties During the epidemic his Downing Street offices were organized and he and others were fined.
Last month, He survived the vote of confidenceBut the final number of legislators who rebelled against him was higher than his supporters expected: 41% of his own parliamentary party refused to support him.
in the middle Other scams, Johnson sought to reverse the suspension of an associate accused of misconduct; He lost two MPs to sexual misconduct and then failed to regain his seats in a by-election.
