Gb, other resignations in the Johnson government

The trickle of resignations from the UK government continues today, with several exits further increasing pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to change the version of the appointment of a senior Tory group office in the House of Commons. Downing Street had initially argued that Johnson was unaware of the sexual harassment allegations made against one of the conservative voting disciplines, Chris Pincher, but the premier eventually admitted that he was aware of the conduct of the Conservatives. deputy and regretted having appointed him. Read also The resignation yesterday of the Minister of Finance, Rishi Sunak, and of Health, Sajid Javid, due to the loss of confidence in the premier, gave a severe blow to Johnson, who a month ago struggled to survive a motion of censure presented by the his own party comrades. In the last few hours, Sunak and Javid have been joined by other members of the executive, who call into question the prime minister: the Secretary of State for Children and the Family, Will Quince, and the parliamentary assistant made public today their resignation. in the Ministry of Transport Laura Trott. Quince went from being one of the most visible faces in the executive when defending the official version of the Fincher case in front of the media to publicly accusing Johnson of his lies, of which he would not have been aware until yesterday. Quince explained in statements to Sky News that Downing Street went so far as to “categorically” assure him that the prime minister was unaware of the allegations of harassment against the parliamentary executive, despite Johnson’s office eventually admitting to the contrary. Quince acknowledged that the prime minister apologized to him for the “inaccurate” information he had received, but argued that he had no choice but to step aside and leave the cabinet. Trott expressed himself in similar terms, stating that “confidence in politics is of vital importance” and that “in recent months it has been lost”, alluding to the deluge of scandals affecting the incumbent government and which includes, among other things , the fines imposed for the parties celebrated in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. Today, major British newspapers paint a bleak picture for Prime Minister Boris Johnson. “Game over”, is the title of the Times, which adds that for Johnson it is “a mistake” to continue to cling to power, because he “has lost the confidence of his party and of the country”. For the Times, “there is no conceivable chance that Johnson, who failed to secure the support of 148 MPs in last month’s vote of confidence, could regain the effective leadership the country needs in a time of national crisis. sharp. Every day that remains deepens the feeling of chaos. For the good of the country, it should go away, “adds the Times. On the inside pages, columnist Iain Martin describes the chaos that reigns in the government, expressing limited hopes for the new Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi. “There was a mad rush by Boris’ team, trying to identify a person, any one, prepared to accept the second most important political office in the country and the risk of being the Chancellor of the Exchequer with the shortest term. of history, “writes Martin. And he adds that former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace are cited as Johnson’s potential successors. In the Telegraph, former Brexit minister David Frost says Johnson should step down; otherwise he risks “dragging the party and the government down with him”, he adds, noting that after yesterday’s resignation “other ministers must now assess whether they are really happy with the current direction of travel”. The Daily Express describes Johnson as “wounded” but “released”, with the front page listing the premier as fighting to deliver on his promise to cut taxes. Daily Mail columnist Stephen Glover praises the prime minister as “an outstanding politician, who stands head and shoulders above most other cabinet members. Johnson will be adored for making Brexit happen”, despite the “big flaw” of “reluctance to to tell the truth, which sets him apart in a profession not famous for his sincerity. But after all that has happened, and despite his successes, he now looks like a doomed prime minister. However, what a tragedy and what a waste, “writes Glover. Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee believes that “the only questions that remain” are how and when the prime minister will leave. “Very few expect him to run again. The 1922 committee (the parliamentary group of the Tories, ed) could change the rules instantly and hold another leadership vote. And there are all the signs it would lose. Or, they could wait for the leadership. next week the election of a new committee, with the aim of changing the rules, to allow another attempt to oust it within the year “.