Boris Johnson resigned on Friday, June 9, from his mandate as an MP invoking the parliamentary inquiry into the “partygate”, the parties organized in Downing Street in violation of the health restrictions in force during the epidemic of Covid-19. The 58-year-old former British prime minister announced that his decision would take effect immediately. It will give rise to a by-election which will add a little more to the political pressure exerted on his successor, Rishi Sunak.
A year after he was ousted from Downing Street by his majority following three years in office marred by a succession of scandals, Mr Johnson remains the subject of a parliamentary inquiry to determine whether he had lied in the partygate affair. The commission of privileges, in charge of the investigation, is in the process of completing its work and had just, according to the British press, submitted its conclusions. “I have received a letter from the Privileges Committee which makes it clear – to my astonishment – that they are determined to use the procedure against me to oust me from Parliament,” the former Conservative prime minister wrote in a statement.
“I am very sad to leave Parliament – at least for now – but I am especially appalled that I was forced to leave, in an undemocratic way”, he adds, accusing the commission of “blatant bias “. He faults the commission members for producing a report that has yet to be published, “riddled with inaccuracies and reeks of bias,” without giving him “any formal opportunity to challenge what they say.”
In March, heard for more than three hours by the committee, Boris Johnson said “hand on heart” that he had not lied to Parliament. He was forced to resign in the summer of 2022 after a succession of scandals, foremost among them these parties in Downing Street during the confinements. He had faced a series of resignations within his government, including that of Rishi Sunak.
Revenge against Rishi Sunak
But the leader, who was still a deputy, remained very influential in the conservative majority. Boris Johnson, who is about to celebrate his 59th birthday, has not hidden his desire to return to power, even if he has converted by speaking in very lucrative conferences.
As he points out in his Friday evening statement, his resignation triggers an immediate by-election. Earlier in the day, one of his closest allies, his former culture minister, who was still an MP, Nadine Dorries, also announced her resignation with immediate effect. Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister since October 2022, will thus find himself facing electoral tests which promise to be difficult at a time when the Conservatives are at their lowest in the polls, after thirteen years in power. In early May, the Tories already suffered significant losses in local elections in England.
Boris Johnson’s resignation is likely to be seen as revenge against Rishi Sunak. The ex-leader also curbs the government in his press release. “When I left office last year, the government was only a handful of points behind in the polls. This gap has now widened considerably,” he writes. “Just a few years after winning the largest majority in nearly half a century [during his election in 2019], that majority is now clearly under threat,” he said. Our party urgently needs to regain momentum and faith in what this country can do. »
Labor’s Angela Rayner was quick to react on Twitter. “As Boris Johnson steps down in disgrace, Britons are tired of this endless Tory soap opera playing out at their expense. And to add: “After thirteen years of conservative chaos, enough is enough. It’s time for a fresh start for Britain with a Labor government. »