What is the reason for the pressure on Boris Johnson to resign as Prime Minister?
What steps has Labor taken to increase pressure on Boris Johnson to step down?
What do the results of the polls show about the popularity of Boris Johnson?
How has Boris Johnson’s recent revelations about Covid-19’s non-compliance with his restrictions affected his popularity with the Conservative Party?
The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in a severe legal crisis due to violations of the law, deception of Parliament and disregard for the principles of conduct, and public opinion in this country is increasingly calling for his resignation.
Boris Johnson’s efforts to normalize the situation
Johnson is the first British leader to be fined for breaking the law, and his efforts over the past week to normalize the situation have not been very effective. He was fined 50 pounds ($66) for holding a birthday party at the Prime Minister’s Office building and violating Covid-19 restrictions, known as a partygate. But at least five other fines are said to be on the way, which is more critical than the partygate.
The constitutional crisis in the UK
“I think we’re in the most severe constitutional crisis involving a prime minister that I can remember,” said Peter Hennessy, a historian and member of the upper house of Parliament. In an interview with the BBC, When the police fined Boris Johnson, he wrote in his diary, “Tuesday 12 April 2022 will be forever remembered as a dark, bleak day for public and political life.” The British historian said that Boris Johnson had become a great scandal in the contemporary era. The prime minister had established his position in British history as the first leader of the lawbreakers.
Hennessy continued that Johnson has turned his position into “an adventure playground for his narcissistic vanity.” He accused the prime minister of having “broken the law, misled Parliament, and has shredded the ministerial code” when he “should be the guardian of the code”.
Boris Johnson is under pressure from MPs to step down.
The UK Prime Minister is expected to come under pressure from MPs after the end of the Easter holidays and the reopening of Parliament. Opposition parties have accused him of misleading the House of Commons and are calling for him to step down. Johnson apologized to the people and said he was unwilling to step down. But Lord Hennessy says the prime minister’s decision shows “complete and utter disdain for the decency of our constitutional conventions”.
The prominent British historian stated that Boris Johnson is undoubtedly a rebellious leader who doesn’t deserve to lead the country, govern the people and be a member of Parliament. “I cannot remember a day when I have been more fearful for the well-being of the constitution,” he added. Lord Hennessy warned that if Johnson didn’t step down and consider himself an exception to the law, the country would be in chaos.
Parliamentary inquiry into Boris Johnson’s violations
Opposition political parties have two options for putting pressure on Johnson. Ask the parliamentary disciplinary committee to investigate the Prime Minister’s violations or vote no confidence in the Prime Minister. In a letter to Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, Caroline Lucas, a member of the British Green Party, called on her to launch a parliamentary inquiry into the Prime Minister’s violations. In addition to Johnson, the process puts pressure on members of the government and his supporters. A recent poll found that nearly two-thirds of Britons believe they should step down if Boris Johnson’s further curfew breaches are found.
Boris Johnson’s resignation request, according to opinion polls.
According to a poll by the prestigious YouGov, if the prime minister is fined again, 63% of people believe he should resign. Even 36 per cent of those who voted for the Conservatives in the 2019 election think that Johnson should leave if he receives more fines. Even among those who don’t think Johnson should resign, there is little sympathy for the prime minister. Only 14% of Britons agree with Boris Johnson’s justification for holding a party. But 76% say he is not telling the truth.
New revelation against Boris Johnson
The Sunday Times reported that in addition to Johnson’s birthday party, he attended the farewell ceremony of the Prime Minister’s Office of Public Relations last November at the height of the Covid-19’s restrictions. Reacting to the news, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said that Johnson did not participate much in the ceremony. Still, the Sunday Times revealed that he was greeting guests and pouring drinks for himself and others in addition to giving speeches. Energy Minister Greg Hands says Johnson will address Parliament on the PartyGate affair. Hands said he strongly supported the prime minister but pressed whether the PM should quit if he received another lockdown fine.
Greg Hands: “I’m not privy to the police investigation, and I think we’ll have to see what the police investigation throws up… I don’t want to prejudge the ongoing police investigation.”
Early British Parliamentary elections likely
However, the pressure on Johnson is growing, and the popularity of the Conservative ruling party is declining. If Johnson fails to maintain the balance of trust between his party and public opinion, early elections will not be far off in the coming months. Johnson stated the Partygate scandal; On 19 June 2020, shortly after 2 pm, a brief meeting was held in the Cabinet, lasting less than 10 minutes, during which the people I work with wished me the best. But I must say. Frankly, it didn’t occur to me at the time that this might be a violation of the law.
Over the past few months, Johnson has sought to free himself from the whirlwind of criticism and crisis by acknowledging a birthday party in a time of Covid-19 restrictions. But most Britons believe he deliberately misled Parliament, and a small percentage of Britons believe he did not deceive Parliament. As a result, the opposition party’s popularity has surpassed that of the ruling Conservative Party. More people said they would vote for the Labor Party if a general election were held. This is while the popularity of the Conservative Party is decreasing day by day.
