“All day long, a political soap opera takes place in Westminster,” says Saenen. “Johnson’s chair legs are being sawn from all sides. He refuses to resign, but his position has become untenable. His own party now also wants him to leave.”
Forty party members resigned
It was a tumultuous day for Johnson as Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and Health Minister Sajid Javi resigned at the same time on Tuesday evening. That turned out to be the start of an exodus from Johnson’s Conservative party. In the meantime, forty ministers and other party members have resigned, out of dissatisfaction with his performance and ‘the scandal culture’ that haunts his government.
Last month there was a confidence vote about his staying on. At the time, he was mainly blamed for ‘party gate’, the parties he attended during the corona lockdown. But Johnson survived that vote.
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Now the flag is completely different, explains Anne Saenen: “There have been elections in two districts that traditionally vote conservative, but they were both lost. This indicates that the population is taking him up on the scandals.”
Misconduct
The most recent scandal is the Pincher case. That MP had harassed men in the nightlife in a drunken stupor, and had also been charged with misconduct before. Johnson gave him a position anyway. At first, the prime minister denied that he had known about the complaints, but later had to admit that he was aware.
Saenen: “The population still blames him for that. Always denying that, and then admitting later that he lied. That was also the case with partygate: swearing over and over that he did nothing wrong, and ultimately have to make his mistakes. to confess.”
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According to Saenen, there are two options: either Johnson will be convinced tonight that he must resign, ‘or he will wait for Monday’.
He does not seem to intend the former: “When I look at the problems this country faces, and also the war in Europe, I do not see how it is responsible to walk away from it,” said the prime minister. “The last thing this country needs is elections.”
Cockroach
Saenen explains what is hanging over his head on Monday. “According to the party rule, there must be at least a year between two confidence votes. But after the weekend, the party hopes to abolish that rule. In that case, they will probably hold the new vote the same day.”
And this time, the colorful prime minister will not survive that vote, the correspondent expects. “Tonight even Secretary of the Interior Patel is present to talk to him. Another party member called Johnson himself ‘a cockroach that will survive the apocalypse’. Well, that sums up the mood well.”
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According to British media, the ministers for Wales, Northern Ireland and transport minister Grant Shapps, who is considered a close confidant of Johnson, are also present.
Fall in the armor
Johnson’s fierce resistance leads to much disbelief in England. “It is difficult to understand why he continues to hold on to the premiership in this way. He will also know himself that there is no holding back.”
One thing is certain, she says: “Theatre Westminster will be duller without him. Because whatever you can say about him, he ain’t boring.”
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