Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Friday his resignation as an MP and blamed the parliamentary committee in charge of investigating the scandal known as “partygate,” involving parties held in Downing Street that violated COVID-19 restrictions. Johnson, 58, said his resignation would take immediate effect, triggering a by-election to fill his conservative seat.
The move highlights divisions within the government and increases pressure on his successor, incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a year ahead of legislative elections. The former government leader has been the subject of a year-long parliamentary investigation following his resignation as prime minister due to ongoing scandals and a loss of support within his own Conservative Party.
The parliamentary committee aims to determine whether Johnson intentionally lied to Parliament by claiming that COVID-19 restrictions had been respected during parties held in Downing Street during the 2020 and 2021 confinements. The process, conducted by Parliament’s privileges committee, is finalizing its investigations and recently delivered its findings to the former prime minister.
In his statement, Johnson accuses the parliamentary committee of making a report riddled with inaccurate claims and bias and also criticizes the fact that he was not given a formal opportunity to respond to the allegations. The committee, for its part, claimed that Johnson undermined the integrity of Parliament with his statements and announced that they would meet on Monday to conclude their work and publish the report quickly.
Johnson’s resignation will trigger an immediate by-election, and hours earlier, his former culture minister, Nadine Dorries, also announced her resignation with immediate effect. This poses an election challenge for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has been in power since October and faces a difficult situation for the Conservatives as polls show his party has recorded significant setbacks after 13 years in government.
Johnson, in his statement, criticizes the current state of the Conservative Party and the need to regain momentum and confidence in what the country can achieve. The Labour Party is also taking advantage of this situation to lash out at the Conservatives and assert that it is time for a new direction for the UK with a Labour government.