Scandal-scarred British Prime Minister Boris Johnson refused to step down Wednesday as more staffers handed in their resignations, bringing the running total to 18.
Johnson said his government would not fold after the resignation of two of his most senior ministers and a string of more junior officials in protest of his leadership.
“The job of a prime minister in difficult circumstances when you’ve been handed a colossal mandate is to keep going. And that’s what I’m going to do,” Johnson told lawmakers
“We are going to get on and deliver our mandate and win another general election,” he added.
Environment minister Jo Churchill became the latest staffer to quit the government after submitting a letter to the British leader on Wednesday morning.
The minister stepped down minutes after Johnson apologized for mishandling sexual misconduct allegations against a member of his government.
“Recent events have shown integrity, competence, and judgement are all essential to the role of Prime Minister, while a jocular self-serving approach is bound to have its limitations,” she wrote in her resignation letter.
“Our beloved country is facing an uncertain future and strong headwinds. A clear, selfless vision is needed. The country and party deserve better and so with a heavy heart I have decided to resign.”
Despite the influx of resignations from both senior and junior staffers, Johnson vowed to “keep going” with the job as British leader.
He told lawmakers the economy was facing tough times and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine represented the worst war in Europe in 80 years.
“That is exactly the moment that you’d expect a government to continue with its work, not to walk away, and to get on with its job,” Johnson told parliament.
Johnson said he would only quit if the government could not carry on.
Boris Johnson’s latest scandal
The latest scandal began Thursday, when Chris Pincher resigned as deputy chief whip amid complaints that he groped two men at a private club. That triggered a series of reports about past allegations leveled against Pincher and questions about why Johnson promoted him to a senior job enforcing party discipline.
Pincher denies the allegations.
Johnson’s office initially said he wasn’t aware of the previous accusations when he promoted Pincher in February. By Monday, a spokesman said Johnson knew of allegations that were “either resolved or did not progress to a formal complaint.
That account didn’t sit well with Simon McDonald, the most senior civil servant at the U.K. Foreign Office from 2015 to 2020. In a highly unusual move, McDonald went public with claims that the prime minister’s office wasn’t telling the truth.
”READ FULL ARTICLE: https://nypost.com/2022/07/06/boris-johnson-vows-to-keep-going-as-wave-of-staffers-resign/
”JUST GO TO SHOW YOU WHO HE REALLY IS. HIS TIME IS UP AND HE KNOWS IT.
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