British PM Boris Johnson steps down after scandals prompt a wave of resignations

[groundloop]

Source: NBC News

Scandal-ridden British Prime Minister Boris Johnson capitulated to mounting pressure to step down Thursday, announcing his decision after days of high-profile government resignations and calls from fellow Conservative Party members to quit.

“In the past few weeks, I have been trying to convince my colleagues it would be eccentric to change governments when we have achieved so much,” he said in his speech outside No. 10 Downing St. amid loud booing from the crowd nearby. “I regret not to be successful in those arguments and, of course, it’s painful not to be able to see through those projects myself.”

Johnson also said he planned to remain as prime minister until a successor is chosen — a move that may face opposition from others in an increasingly hostile Parliament.

He becomes the third consecutive British prime minister to resign before their term in recent years, following in the footsteps of Theresa May and David Cameron.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/will-boris-johnson-resign-uk-pm-rocked-new-wave-resignations-rcna37043

[OneCrazyDiamond]

1. Yay...

[IronLionZion]

2. OK Bye

v

[turbinetree]

3. Hey Boris...did you by some chance read this article.....about your Tory party antics...

Last edited Thu Jul 7, 2022, 10:55 AM - Edit history (1)

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jun/22/brexit-is-making-cost-of-living-crisis-worse-new-study-claims

[progree]

4. Thanks for the link, but it doesn't work. But if you remove the 5 periods at the end it does

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jun/22/brexit-is-making-cost-of-living-crisis-worse-new-study-claims

[turbinetree]

5. Corrected, thanks

[The Mouth]

6. Hypocrites are disgusting.

Don't go put people in lockdown and then party like there's nothing going on.

People can take a *lot*, but 'rules for thee but not for me' cuts through all political divisions.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. What pushed the party over the edge was his appointment of a sexual predator

as a 'whip' - ie in charge of keeping other MPs in line, making sure they behave and so on. And then Johnson sent senior MPs out to lie about what Johnson knew.

On Sunday:

PM 'not aware of specific claims' about disgraced MP Chris Pincher and thought he was 'best choice' for deputy chief whip job

Speaking to Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey rejected the idea there was a "problem with Conservative men", following a string of sexual misconduct scandals.

Boris Johnson made the "choice he thought was best" in appointing Chris Pincher to government and was "not aware of specific claims" about the Tory MP, a cabinet minister has insisted.
...
Mr Pincher quit as Conservative deputy chief whip after he was accused of drunkenly groping two men at a private members' club in London this week.
...
The prime minister has faced questions over how much he knew about Mr Pincher's behaviour when he made him deputy chief whip in February.

https://news.sky.com/story/pm-not-aware-of-specific-claims-about-disgraced-mp-chris-pincher-and-thought-he-was-best-choice-for-deputy-chief-whip-job-12644793

And then a retired top civil servant said they were still lying:

No 10 not telling truth over Chris Pincher, says former top civil servant

On Monday, Johnson’s official spokesman amended this to argue that the prime minister had been aware of allegations, but that these were “either resolved or did not proceed to a formal complaint”.

In a scathing letter, McDonald, a long-time senior diplomat who was permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office from 2015 to 2020 and became a peer in 2021, made it clear he believed this was also untrue.
...
It was, McDonald wrote, “not true” for No 10 to claim either that Johnson did not knew about earlier complaints, or the amended line about the only complaint he knew about being unsubstantiated.

“Mr Johnson was briefed in person about the initiation and outcome of the investigation,” the letter said. “There was a ‘formal complaint’. Allegations were ‘resolved’ only in the sense that the investigation was completed; Mr Pincher was not exonerated. To characterise the allegations as ‘unsubstantiated’ is therefore wrong.”

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jul/05/no-10-not-telling-truth-over-chris-pincher-says-former-top-civil-servant

And that was the breaking point for the senior Tories. They were being given lies to repeat, to protect a PM who was OK with promoting a sexual predator. He was dragging them into the mud. They knew if they said anything for him from then on, people would just assume they were lying.

[The Mouth]

11. Just an all around disgusting person

I think Wikipedia should use his photo for the article 'twit'.

[Polybius]

12. Yeah but it's far better than starting an insurrection

Our leaders don't even have to resign for that.

[The Mouth]

16. Bingo

[2naSalit]

8. Not really, yet.

He said he quit the party but intends to occupy 10 Downing until he feels like leaving.

There is celebration yet, he's not leaving until forced to.

[not fooled]

9. Better late than never

However, he has been promulgating sh*tty policies--bad for most people--for a long time. He should have been out of office--or, better yet, never elected--on the basis of policy including Brexit and lying about the NHS, a long time ago. Oh, well--the U.S. keeps electing pukes, so I guess a certain portion of the electorate likes being subjected to bad policy.

[Javaman]

10. "third consecutive British prime minister to resign before their term in recent years"

think the Brits need to take a hint?

[Marthe48]

13. I wonder if Great Britain will reverse brixit?

n/t

[flying_wahini]

14. Great news! Now let Putin deal with him.

[ificandream]

15. I have a friend in the UK who is very very happy today.

She couldn't stand him.

[Grokenstein]

17. Guess he told himself "I've caused all the damage I can."