Guwahati: Boris Johnson resigned as British prime minister opened the door for the appointment of a new leader following the resignation of dozens of ministers from his scandal-plagued cabinet.
Johnson stated in front of No. 10 Downing Street, “It is plainly the will of the parliamentary Conservative party that there should be a new leader of that party, and thus a new prime minister.”
Johnson, 58, said he will quit after receiving numerous resignations from his senior staff in displeasure with his leadership, but he would continue serving as prime minister until a successor is selected.
After three turbulent years in office marked by Brexit, the Covid epidemic, and constant controversy over his reputation for mendacity, he indicated that the schedule for a Tory leadership contest will be revealed the following week.
Late on Tuesday, resignations from the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and the Health Secretary Sajid Javid started a chain reaction. Two days after taking office, UK Minister of Education Michelle Donelan announced her resignation on Thursday.
After fighting for his job for days, Johnson had lost all except a small group of his allies. It was a far cry from Johnson’s rise to power in 2019 when he gained a sizable majority and earned support from regions of Britain that had never voted for his Conservative Party before.
“I know that there will be many people who are relieved and perhaps quite a few who will also be disappointed. And I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world,” Johnson said in a speech outside Downing Street. “But them’s the breaks,” Johnson said.