Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson Resigns as a Legislator
Former British prime minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation from the House of Commons on Friday, alleging that his political rivals had rigged the election to drive him out.
A cross-party committee is looking into whether the 58-year-old populist lawmaker frequently misled to parliament about parties that violated the Covid lockdown when he was in power.
He vehemently insisted he had not in testimony earlier this year.
He claimed that they had approached him, “making it clear that they are determined to use the proceedings against me to drive me out of parliament,” as the committee got ready to release its conclusions.
His own Conservative party’s majority on the Privileges Committee gives it the authority to impose suspension as one of many possible sanctions for deceiving the legislature.
Typically, a by-election in the MP’s constituency is held when the suspension lasts longer than 10 working days.
Johnson, however, resigned before any decision was made rather than risk having to fight to keep his tiny majority of over 7,000 votes in the northwest London constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
He called the committee a “kangaroo court” and its chair, senior opposition Labour MP Harriet Harman.
But more than anything, he continued, “I am bewildered and appalled that I can be forced out, anti-democratically… with such egregious bias.” He expressed his sadness at departing Parliament, at least temporarily.
Sunak Attack
The announcement came just hours after Boris Johnson controversially honored people linked to the “Partygate” scandal as well as his closest Brexit backers in his list of honors for resigning prime minister.
Nadine Dorries, his former secretary of state for culture, made her resignation as an MP effective immediately at the same moment.
Johnson’s commitment to “get Brexit done” helped the Tories achieve a commanding 80-seat majority in the general election of December 2019, which allowed him to quickly push his divorce agreement with the EU through parliament.
But his management of the Covid pandemic, “Partygate,” and a string of other scandals that sparked a cabinet uprising in July of last year brought him to his knees.
In spite of persistent rumors to the contrary, he resigned as prime minister and departed office in September of last year.
Since taking office as prime minister in October of last year, Rishi Sunak, who was one of Johnson’s senior team members to resign, has been attempting to calm the waters.
Given that Sunak and the Tories are trailing the main opposition Labour party in the polls and that there will be a general election the following year, Boris Johnson’s departure will likely be interpreted as an act of retaliation.
“The government was only a few points behind in the polls when I left office last year. That disparity has now significantly increased, Johnson wrote in his letter.
“Just a few years after achieving the largest majority in nearly 50 years, that majority is now obviously in jeopardy.
“Our party must quickly regain its sense of momentum and its faith in what this nation is capable of.”
The Conservative Party still has time to regain its zeal and desire and win the next election, he continued.
Boris Johnson gained notoriety as the Daily Telegraph’s Brussels correspondent peddling euromyths after being fired from his first position at The Times newspaper for fabricating a quote.
He started as an MP in 2001 and held the position until 2008, when he resigned to become mayor of London for two terms of four years. In 2015, he ran for office once more, and under Theresa May, he served as foreign secretary.
