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Government Crisis in Britain
British media: Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to resign
Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of Great Britain
© GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP
The pressure was too great: Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of Great Britain, apparently wants to resign on Thursday. A statement from the head of government is eagerly awaited.
This text is continuously updated.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apparently wants to resign. This was reported by several British media on Thursday. According to reports, Johnson will vacate his post as leader of the conservative Tory party this Thursday BBC and Sky News citing government circles.
He would soon lose his position as head of government. According to reports, however, Johnson wants to remain prime minister until the fall, until a new Tory leader is found.
Of the “Guardians” quoted two senior Tory politicians calling for Johnson’s immediate and full exit. “Today he has to hand in the official seal and go,” said one of the unnamed sources. A former cabinet minister told Sky News that Johnson had voiced doubts that the party would back the PM’s alleged plan.
An official statement from 10 Downing Street, the home of the British Prime Minister, said: “The Prime Minister will make a statement to the country today.” According to the “Guardian”, Johnson’s speech is expected in the course of the morning.
Chair backs in London put Boris Johnson under pressure
Johnson had come under massive pressure in the past few days. Several cabinet members had resigned. Most recently, Finance Minister Nadhim Zahawi, who was appointed to office on Tuesday, even asked him to resign.
The evening before, a close Johnson confidant had announced that the prime minister would not give up. “The Prime Minister is in an optimistic mood and will fight on,” Johnson’s parliamentary assistant James Duddridge told Sky News. Johnson got the mandate of 14 million voters in the last general election and “so much to do for the country”.
But on Thursday the tide turned. Johnson wants to remain in office until a successor is elected, the news channel Sky News reported, citing government circles.
The most recent government crisis in Westminster was triggered by an affair involving Johnson’s party colleague Chris Pincher, who is accused of sexual harassment. It was previously revealed that Johnson knew about the allegations against Pincher before he promoted him to a key faction office. His spokesman had previously denied this several times.