Boris Johnson was embroiled in a scandal known as Partygate. This scandal involved allegations that numerous parties were held at Downing Street during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic while strict quarantine measures were in place. This led to widespread public outrage and criticism over the perceived hypocrisy and disregard for public safety by those in power. As a result of these allegations, Boris Johnson announced his resignation from his position as a Member of Parliament, which he had held since 2001. The scandal had become a major distraction from his duties as an elected official and leader of the country, and it was clear that his continued presence would have been a liability for the Conservative Party. What occupation does Boris Johnson hold after stepping down?
Statement on Why Boris Johnson’s resignation
Following the release of a report by a Privileges Committee of the UK Parliament regarding Boris Johnson’s comments on parties held during the Covid-19 quarantine, he stated, ‘I am being compelled to step down from parliament by a small group of individuals without any substantiation for their claims and lacking consent from both Conservative party members and the broader electorate.’ Subsequently, Johnson resigned from his position
Johnson’s criticism of the British Privileges Committee report
In response to the report, Boris Johnson criticised it for its lack of thoroughness and impartiality, stating, ‘ I was astonished to receive a letter from the privileges committee indicating their intention to use these proceedings to force my resignation from parliament.’ He reiterated that they had not presented any proof that he intentionally or negligently misled the House of Commons, adding that ‘It is clear that when I spoke in the Commons, I did so sincerely believing what I was saying to be accurate and based on the information provided to me, just like any other minister.
Boris Johnson’s successive scandals
Last year, Boris Johnson resigned as prime minister due to differences within the ruling party after months of conflict and pressure, as well as accusations of violating quarantine regulations and involvement in other scandals. Continuing with the revelations of administrative and personal scandals surrounding the former British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has now been forced to give up his seat in the country’s parliament.
Johnson’s request for immediate mid-term elections
Last Friday, Boris Johnson resigned from his position as a member of the UK Parliament from the Conservative Party, issuing a statement that was read on the Sky News channel. In this statement, he said: “I have today written to my association in Uxbridge and South Ruislip to say that I am stepping down forthwith and triggering an immediate by-election.” The former Prime Minister of the UK has decided to resign from the Parliament after receiving the results of the investigation by the Privileges Committee of the UK Parliament regarding his action in misleading the Parliament in the scandal related to the violation of the time limits of the Coronavirus epidemic.
Questioning Boris Johnson about his wrongdoings
Johnson stated that he regretted leaving his excellent constituency after serving as mayor and MP for 15 years. He added that they achieved several significant milestones during his tenure, such as constructing a vast new railway line, the Elizabeth Line, and securing total funding for a state-of-the-art hospital in Hillingdon, where preliminary works had already begun. It has been reported that recent evidence indicates Johnson may have breached anti-coronavirus restrictions. Consequently, the country’s Parliament privileges committee is now investigating the matter.
The reason for Boris Johnson’s resignation as PM of the UK
Last year, Johnson resigned as British Prime Minister following a series of controversial events, including holding a party during the Covid-19 quarantine, which became Partygate. He was replaced by Liz Truss, the foreign minister of his cabinet. Still, after making mistakes in financial policy, Truss resigned on October 25, 2022, after only 49 days in office, and became the record for the shortest time in British history. After her, Rishi Sunak, the current Prime Minister of the UK, won this position in an atmosphere without competition.
Boris Johnson’s resignation supporters from the UK Parliament
After Boris Johnson resigned from the UK Parliament, another representative, an ally of the former prime minister, announced his resignation. Nigel Adams, the resigned member of the UK Parliament, told the announcement of his successor on Twitter and wrote: “Yesterday, Selby Conservatives selected an excellent new parliamentary candidate. I’ve today informed the chief whip that I will be standing down as a Member of Parliament with immediate effect. It has been an honour to represent the area where I was raised, educated & I want to thank my constituents for their wonderful support since 2010.”
The company of staunch supporters after Boris Johnson’s resignation
Boris Johnson, who resigned as the head of the party and Prime Minister in July of last year after the Partygate crisis, has also resigned as a member of his country’s Parliament. On the same day, Nadine Dorries, one of Johnson’s staunch supporters, the Former Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, announced her resignation from the Parliament.
Johnson’s insistence on not lying in the Partygate case
Quarantine parties, known as Partygate, were one of a series of scandals that finally forced Boris Johnson to step down as the leader of the Conservative Party and the British Prime Minister. In his long resignation letter from Parliament, Johnson said that He thought that the parties during the Covid-19 period were not a violation of the quarantine regulations; he did not lie. In evidence given to the Privileges Committee in March, Johnson admitted he had misled Parliament but denied it was deliberate.
Boris Johnson’s justifications for violating the quarantine rules
Boris Johnson has said that social distancing at Downing Street gatherings during the Covid-19 regulations has yet to be flawless. But he said those were necessary work events that he said were allowed. Johnson emphasised that the instructions had always been followed based on his understanding. “I did not lie, and I believe that in their hearts, the committee knows it,” he said, announcing his resignation.
Johnson’s accusation against the Privileges Committee of the UK Parliament
Boris Johnson said in his official statement that he had decided to step down following an investigation into Partygate by the Parliamentary Privileges Committee. Johnson accused the said Privileges Committee of launching a “victim of a witch-hunt” against him and determined to expel him from Parliament. The former Prime Minister of the UK says: “It is in no one’s interest, however, that the process the Committee has launched should continue for a single day further.”
Was Johnson forced to resign?
Details of the report remain under wraps, but Johnson claims the UK parliament’s Privileges Committee told him it would likely recommend the former prime minister be suspended for ten days or more. This would lead to a recall for his seat, which would mean a possible by-election. It is important to note that this draft report set out a possible sanction against Boris Johnson. The Privileges Committee process is ongoing, and the members of Parliament must vote on the final report before being approved.
Johnson’s proposal to minimize losses is to resign.
Forces external to Parliament could have also influenced Johnson’s decision. As noted in his letter, the Conservative Party is currently behind the Labour Party by an average of 16 points in the polls. If he had chosen to remain and fight, there was no assurance that he would be able to reclaim his seat in Parliament later on; both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have set their sights on his former constituency at Oxbridge. Boris Johnson ultimately elected to minimise his losses and discontinue his parliamentary activity.
