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MP Tom Tugendhat in the evening became the first person to declare himself a candidate for the Conservative leader’s succession, following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement of his resignation on Thursday. Other contenders, such as Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, or Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, Penny Mordant, are expected.
The race for Boris Johnson’s succession began within the British Conservative Party on Friday, 8 July, the day after the prime minister’s resignation sparked an unprecedented avalanche of defection due to repeated scandals in his government.
Without waiting for a timetable set next week for the election of a new Conservative leader, MP Tom Tugendat, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee in parliament, confirmed his candidacy on Thursday evening, thus becoming the first person to make an announcement after the announcement. Went. Boris Johnson’s farewell.
Among the main candidates to succeed him is Defense Minister Ben Wallace at the top, followed by the campaign figure in favor of Brexit, according to a YouGov poll by Secretary of State for Foreign Trade Penny Mordant.
Announcing his resignation in a brief speech in front of Downing Street, 58-year-old Boris Johnson said he would remain in power until his successor was appointed.
“I have appointed a new government, which will hold the same position as mine until a new leader is replaced,” he said without a word for the open crisis caused by the sixty resignations. In his government since Tuesday, yet another scam.
During the Council of Ministers in the afternoon, he said he would leave “major budgetary decisions” to his successor, before announcing a series of appointments to refill the ranks of a disbanded government.
The idea of an interim was quickly condemned by the opposition and some conservative stalwarts. Former Prime Minister John Major (1990–1997) considered it “reckless and perhaps unsustainable” that Boris Johnson stayed “longer than necessary” in Downing Street.
Opposition leader Keir Starmer argued, “We don’t need a change in the leadership of the Tories. We need a real change in government.”
“extremely proud”
According to a YouGov poll, most Britons (56%) also want the interim to be done by someone else. 77% believe Boris Johnson was right to resign.
Like the sentiments of Boris Johnson, the front page of the British press on Friday displayed a wide range: a distressed “What the hell do you do?” (Daily Mail), the grateful “thank you” for Brexit (The Sun, Daily Express), “worst prime minister” (Daily Record), the more sober “Johnson throws in the towel” (The Times) or “it (almost) is over” (The Guardian).
Announcing his resignation, Boris Johnson said he was “extremely proud” of his record, specifically referring to his support for Brexit, the anti-Covid vaccination campaign and Ukraine.
After two turbulent years and 349 days in power, marked by Brexit, of which he was the hero, the pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, record inflation and escalating social conflict, Boris Johnson was forced out of his own camp, Tired of repeated scams and lies.
“new page”
Boris Johnson called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after announcing his resignation. The Ukrainian president thanked him for his support “in the most difficult of times”.
His departure is “an opportunity to return to the true spirit of partnership and mutual respect that we need”, said Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin, as relations between Dublin and London continue to strain Northern Ireland.
After years of rocky relations, the EU also hopes the departure of the Brexit champions will provide an opportunity to renew talks with London on Northern Ireland.
Officially, the European Commission has declined to comment, but for Michel Barnier, the former EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, “Boris Johnson’s departure opens a new page in relations with Great Britain”.
AFP. with
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