Boris Johnson, who was forced resign as prime minister in July 2022, has now also resigned from his position as a member of parliament, ahead of the release of what was expected to be a critical report from a parliamentary committee that he violated his own government’s covid-19 protocols by attending parties and then misled parliament about it, something that come to be called, inevitably, ‘partygate’.
His resignation statement was long and angry and very Trump-like, loudly proclaiming his innocence and claiming that he was wronged by his enemies and the target of a witch hunt by those opposed to his vision for the UK and angry about his role in championing Brexit.
Since leaving the prime minister’s office, he has been at best a lackluster backbencher, voting just four times since then, choosing instead to spend his time giving lucrative speeches.
Along with his resignation, two close allies of his also resigned as MPs. One was Nadine Dorries, seemingly over some inside-baseball stuff about her being nominated for a peerage by Johnson and then having it withdrawn, and Nigel Adams. This means that there will be three by-elections in Conservative-held districts within a short time, giving the first major test of how the government of Rishi Sunak is viewed by the public. Currently they are behind Labour in the polls. General elections have to be held by January 28, 2025 at the latest.
If the Conservatives take a beating at the next general election, Johnson might try to make a comeback as party leader and prime minister, using the fact that he lead the party to a huge 80-seat majority at the last general election in 2019.
A video from A Different Bias
Apologies, wrong video. This one:
I won’t believe we’re rid of him until the coroner sees the body.
…claiming that he was wronged by his enemies and the target of a witch hunt by those opposed to his vision for the UK and angry about his role in championing Brexit.
His “vision for the UK” was standard long-disproven Tory bullshit at best, and Brexit was a fraud and a fiasco. So those are two perfectly rational reasons to force him out of government, and out of relevance.
No, John, both of those videos are right for this thread. Thanks.
Unlikely. First, he’d need to be an MP, and Sunak apparently has the power to block him if he tries to stand for the Conservatives. He’d take a certain risk in doing so, but Johnson’s star is waning even among those MPs who supported his attempt to recapture the leadership last October, and the timing and manner of his resignation from the Commons will be the last straw for many. His public appeal has also cratered. Second, it’s not in Johnson’s nature to undertake the hard work of marshalling and leading a defeated and demoralised opposition party in the hope of regaining power five years hence. He’s been coining it in speakers’ fees on an impressive scale since he resigned as PM, and even if the price he can command for an appearance declines quite rapidly, can be sure of a cushy journalistic billet for the indefinite future.
I’m optimistic his uk career is over.
I wouldn’t put it past him making a run for the Republican nomination in 2028…