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Digital Desk:
Whether Johnson will continue serving as prime minister until the Conservative Party selects a new leader was not immediately clear...
Digital Desk: Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned on Thursday (July 7), his office announced, bringing an end to an unprecedented political crisis over his future that had crippled Britain's government.
An official of Johnson's Downing Street office confirmed that PM Boris Johnson would officially announce his resignation later. As the announcement had not yet been made, the official spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Following ethics scandals, Johnson had rejected requests from his Cabinet to resign. However, after his government's more than 40 ministers resigned and told him to leave, he gave in.
Whether Johnson will continue serving as prime minister until the Conservative Party selects a new leader was not immediately clear.
Barely minutes before the news emerged, Treasury Secretary Nadhim Zahawi called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign, just 36 hours after Johnson nominated him, while another recently appointed Cabinet minister also resigned.
Johnson knew "the correct thing to do" was to "go now," Zahawi said. On Tuesday, Zahawi was chosen to succeed Rishi Sunak, who resigned after a string of ethics problems and stated that he could no longer support Johnson.
Education Secretary Michelle Donelan, who was also appointed on Tuesday after her predecessor resigned, gave notice of her resignation on Thursday morning.
Johnson had rejected proposals of his resignation, holding firm even as numerous officials left and former supporters urged him to do so after yet another scandal rocked his leadership.
Johnson was told to step down after losing the trust of his party by a group of his most trusted Cabinet colleagues who visited him on Wednesday at his office in Downing Street. Johnson, however, decided to fight for his political career and fired Michael Gove, one of the Cabinet members, as per British media.
A prime minister rarely maintains his position in the face of intense pressure from Cabinet colleagues.
"He has betrayed the faith that was made in him. He must acknowledge that he is no longer morally qualified to serve as a leader. It was over for him," Ian Blackford, the Scottish National Party leader, said.
Johnson, 58, was well-known for his talent for getting out of awkward situations. He remained in power despite accusations that he was too close to party funders, shielded supporters from intimidation and corruption claims, deceived Parliament, and was dishonest with the public on government office parties that violated pandemic lockdown regulations.
The last straw, however, turned out to be recent revelations that Johnson was aware of claims of sexual misconduct against Conservative politician Chris Pincher before elevating the man to a senior position.
Following charges that he touched two men at a private club, Pincher resigned last week from his position as deputy chief whip. This led to many revelations concerning prior accusations against Pincher, as well as changing government explanations about what Johnson knew when he chose him for a key position enforcing party rules.
Moreover, Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Treasury chief Rishi Sunak resigned on Wednesday due to the scandal. The two strong members of the Cabinet were in charge of addressing covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, two of the most pressing problems that the United Kingdom is facing.
When Javid stated that Johnson's actions threatened to damage the credibility of the Conservative Party and the British government, he captured the sentiment of many parliamentarians. "At some point, we have to decide that enough is enough. I think that time has come," He said to his legislative counterparts on Wednesday.
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