New Delhi: 32 British MPs, including Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid, have now left Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government in less than 24 hours. However, Boris said on Wednesday (July 6, 2022) that he is not going to resign and the last thing the country needs is national elections.
“I’m not going to step down and the last thing this country needs is, frankly, an election,” he told a parliamentary committee to confirm that he would rather resign if he loses a trust vote. Will not call elections. ,
Boris Johnson’s statement has come amid media reports that A group of cabinet ministers is about to ask him to step downIncluding Nadim Jahvi, who has just been appointed as the new Finance Minister. According to news agency Reuters, this delegation will be led by Transport Minister Grant Shapps.
Zahvi, in particular, told reporters earlier on Wednesday that he fully supports Johnson.
Despite massive resignations, Boris Johnson vows to fight
Boris Johnson vowed on Wednesday to fight back against growing calls to resign as prime minister, a pledge that was met with outrageous laughter in a parliamentary appearance.
“The job of a prime minister in difficult circumstances is to keep going,” Johnson said.
“And that’s what I’m going to do,” he said.
Boris Johnson’s leadership mired in scandals and misdemeanors
Boris Johnson’s leadership has been implicated in scandals and misdemeanors over the past few months, with the prime minister fined by police for breaking COVID-19 lockdown laws and a damning report about the behavior of officers in his Downing Street office have been published, who have violated their own lockdown. rules.
There have also been policy U-turns, the unfortunate defense of a lawmaker who broke lobbying rules, and criticism that it had not done enough to deal with the crisis of living, with many Britons struggling to deal with rising fuel and food. has done. prices.
The latest scandal saw Johnson apologizing for appointing an MP for a role involved in party welfare and discipline, even as it was reported that the politician was the subject of complaints about sexual misconduct.
Several ministers cited Johnson’s lack of judgment, standards and an inability to speak the truth.
Boris Johnson may face trust vote
Earlier in June, Johnson survived the vote of confidence Conservative lawmakers and party rules mean he cannot face another such challenge for a year. However, some legislators are demanding that those rules be changed. But a new confidence vote will not be brought by his lawmakers until at least next week, when the Conservative Party committee governing the rules agreed to elect a new executive before considering allowing one.
The so-called 1922 committee decided on Wednesday that it would hold an election for its executive on Monday before deciding to change the rules to bring a confidence vote in Johnson.
At least 32 British lawmakers have left Boris Johnson’s government in less than 24 hours in the latest bout of drama at the heart of British power. Departures started on Tuesday with the departure of Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak and continued till Wednesday evening.
British MPs who left Boris Johnson’s government within the last 24 hours
- – Rishi Sunak, Finance Minister and MP since May 2015
- – Sajid Javid, Health Secretary and MP since May 2010
- – Bim Afolami, Vice President of the Conservative Party and since June 2017 MP for Hitchin and Harpenden
- – Saqib Bhatti, PPS to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and an MP since December 2019
- – Jonathan Gullis, PPS of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and an MP since December
- – Nicola Richards, PPS for the Department of Transportation and an MP since December 2019
- – Alex Chalk, Solicitor General for England and Wales and an MP since May 2015
- – Virginia Crosby, PPS in the Wales Office and an MP since December 2019
- – Theo Clark, Kenya’s trade envoy and an MP since December 2019
- – Andrew Murison, trade envoy to Morocco and an MP since June 2001
- – John Glenn, Minister of Financial Services and Member of Parliament (MP) since May 2010
- – Rachel McLean, Minister of Security and MP since June 2017
- – Mike Freer, Minister of Exports and Equality and an MP since May 2010
- – Duncan Baker, Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) in the Government’s Leveling Up, Housing and Communities Department
- – Craig Williams, PPS in the Ministry of Finance and MP since December 2019
- – Mark Logan, PPS of the Northern Ireland Office and an MP since December 2019
- – Mims Davis, Minister of Employment and MP from 2019
- – Kemi Badenoch, Minister of Equality and an MP since June 2017
- – Neil O’Brien, a junior minister in the Department of Leveling Up, Housing and Communities and MP since June 2017
- – Alex Burgert, a junior minister in the Department of Education and an MP since June 2017
- – Lee Rowley, a junior minister in the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and an MP since June 2017
- – Julia Lopez, junior minister in the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and MP since June 2017.
- – Victoria Atkins, a junior Home Office minister and a parliamentarian since May 2015
- – Stuart Andrew, Jr. Housing Minister and MP since May 2010
- – Joe Churchill, a junior minister in the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and an MP since May 2015
- – Will Quince, Minister for Children and Families, and an MP since May 2015
- – Robin Walker, Minister of State for School Standards and an MP since May 2010
- – Felicity Buchan, PPS at BEIS and MP since December 2019
- – Laura Trott, Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) for the Department of Transport and an MP since December 2019
- – Selene Saxby, pps to DEFRA and an MP since December 2019
- – Claire Coutinho, PPS to the Treasury and an MP since December 2019
- – David Johnson, PPS of the Department of Education and MP since December 2019
Who can replace British Prime Minister Boris Johnson if he is ousted?
liz truss
Liz Truss, Foreign Secretary, is a grassroots darling of the ruling Conservative Party and has regularly topped party members’ polls conducted by the website Conservative Home. Truss’s public image is meticulously crafted and photographed in a tank last year, exposing a famous 1986 image of Britain’s first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, who was also captured in such a pose. went.
The 46-year-old spent the first two years of Johnson’s premiership as international trade secretary, championing Brexit and last year was appointed as Britain’s chief negotiator with the European Union.
Truss said on Monday that Johnson had his “100% support” and urged allies to support him.
Jeremy Hunt
Former foreign secretary, 55-year-old Jeremy Hunt finished second behind Johnson in the 2019 leadership competition. He would offer a more serious and less controversial style of leadership after the turmoil of Johnson’s premiership.
Over the past two years, Hunt has used his experience as former health secretary to chair the health select committee and has not been stigmatized by serving in the current government.
Earlier this year, he said his ambition to become prime minister “has not disappeared completely”. Hunt said he would vote to oust Johnson in a trust vote last month, which Johnson won marginally.
ben wallace
Defense Minister Ben Wallace, 52, has become the most popular member of the government in recent months with Conservative Party members, thanks to his handling of the Ukraine crisis, according to Conservative Home.
A former soldier himself, he served in Northern Ireland, Germany, Cyprus and Central America, and was mentioned in a 1992 dispatch.
He began his political career as a member of the Developed Assembly of Scotland in May 1999, before being first elected to the Parliament of Westminster in 2005. He was the Minister of Security from 2016, until taking over his current role three years later, winning for his department. His role in evacuating British civilians and allies from Afghanistan last year and sending weapons to Kyiv during the recent war in Ukraine.
Rishi Sunak to be the next British PM?
Rishi Sunak, who resigned as finance minister on Tuesday, saying “the public rightly expects the government to operate correctly, competently and seriously”, until last year to succeed Johnson. were favourites.
He was praised for a rescue package for the economy during the coronavirus pandemic, including a job retention program that prevented massive unemployment, which could cost 410 billion pounds ($514 billion).
But Sunak has faced criticism for breaking COVID-19 lockdown rules, not providing adequate cost-of-living support to households alongside Johnson, the non-domicile tax status of his wealthy wife and the fines he received.
His tax-and-spend budget last year shrugged off his claims in favor of lower taxes, arguably making Britain its biggest tax burden since the 1950s.
Sajid Javid
Sajid Javid was the first cabinet minister to resign over allegations that Johnson misled the public about sexual assault allegations against a Conservative lawmaker.
A former banker and champion of free markets, Javid has served in several cabinet roles, most recently as Minister of Health. He resigned as finance minister to Johnson in 2020.
The son of Pakistani Muslim immigrant parents, he is an admirer of the late Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Javid finished fourth in the 2019 leadership competition to replace former Prime Minister Theresa May.
Nadeem Jahvi
Newly appointed Finance Minister Nadim Zhawi impressed as Vaccines Minister when Britain had one of the fastest rollouts of COVID-19 jabs in the world. Zahavi’s personal story as a former refugee from Iraq who immigrated to Britain as a child sets him apart from other Conservative claimants.
He co-founded the voting company YouGov before entering parliament in 2010. His last job was as the Secretary of Education. Jahavi said last week that it would be a “privilege” to become prime minister at some stage.
Penny MORDAUNT
Former Defense Secretary Penny Mordant was sacked by Johnson when he became prime minister after backing his rival Hunt during the previous leadership contest.
Mordaunt was a passionate supporter of leaving the European Union and made national headlines by participating in the now-defunct reality TV diving show.
Mordant, currently a junior trade minister, called the parties in government breaking the lockdown “shameful”. He said voters want to see “professionalism and competence” from the government. She had previously expressed loyalty to Johnson.
(with agency input)