Boris Johnson’s bombshell exit from Parliament leaves UK politics reeling

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LONDON (AP) — Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson left chaos in his wake Saturday after resigning from Parliament with an outburst of fellow lawmakers he accused of ousting him in a “witch-hunt”.

While opponents jeered, the Conservative government absorbed the shock of another Johnson earthquake, while a loyal group of supporters insisted the divisive former British leader could still make a comeback. Two of Johnson’s allies joined him in quitting the House of Commons, piling pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

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Less than a year after being forced out as prime minister by the Conservative Party, Johnson unexpectedly resigned as lawmaker late Friday — “at least for the time being,” he said in his self-justifying resignation statement.

Johnson resigned after being told he would be penalized for misleading parliament about the “party gate”, a series of rule-breaking rallies at the prime minister’s office during the coronavirus pandemic. Johnson was among dozens of people fined by police for late night parties, wild parties and “winy Fridays” that broke government restrictions on the country.

Johnson acknowledged misleading Parliament when he assured lawmakers that no rules were being broken, but said he had not done so deliberately, genuinely believing the rallies were legitimate business events.

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The standards committee investigating him appears to see things differently. Johnson resigned after receiving the Privileges Commission’s report, which has not yet been made public. Johnson faced suspension from the House of Commons if the committee found him to have knowingly lied.

Johnson, 58, described the committee as a “kangaroo court” determined to “get me out of Parliament”.

“Their goal from the start was to convict me, regardless of the facts,” Johnson said.

The committee, which includes a majority of Tory members, said Johnson had “challenged the integrity” of the House of Commons with his attack. It said it would meet Monday to “finish the investigation and publish its report promptly.”

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The resignation would trigger a special election to replace Johnson as an MP for a suburban London seat in the House of Commons. Two of Johnson’s allies, Nadine Dorris and Nigel Adams, resigned, sparking three near-simultaneous by-elections—an unwanted headache for Sunak.

Johnson is a charismatic and erratic personality whose career has seen a series of scandals and comebacks. The Latin-speaking, blond-haired populist held key office but also spent stints on the political sidelines before Brexit propelled him to the top.

Johnson, a champion of Brexit, led the Conservatives to a landslide victory in 2019 and took Britain out of the European Union the following year. But he was mired in scandals over his morals and judgment, and his party forced him to step down as prime minister in mid-2022.

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By leaving Parliament he avoids a suspension which could have resulted in his removal from his seat in the House of Commons by his constituents, leaving him free to stand for Parliament again in the future. His resignation statement indicated that he was considering that option. He was highly critical of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who served as Chief Treasury in Johnson’s government before jumping ship with several other colleagues in July 2022 – resignations that forced Johnson to step down as prime minister.

Conservative poll numbers have fallen during the turbulent final months of Johnson’s term and have yet to recover. Opinion polls regularly put the opposition Labor Party ahead by 20 points or more. National elections must be held by the end of 2024.

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“Just a few years after winning the largest majority in almost half a century, it is clear that that majority is now at risk,” Johnson said in a statement that sounded like a leadership speech. “Our party desperately needs to regain its sense of momentum and its belief in what this country can do.”

Johnson’s allies hoped the former prime minister would not end. Conservative lawmaker John Redwood said Johnson had “made clear that he does not see this as the end of his involvement in British politics”.

But many others wondered if the politician who so often seems to defy political gravity could make a comeback.

Others have compared Johnson to Donald Trump, who similarly claimed he was persecuted by a host of enemies after he was indicted on federal charges for hoarding classified documents after leaving office.

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“It all sounds very Trumpian,” said Will Walden, who worked for Johnson when he was mayor of London and UK foreign secretary.

Walden told Sky News: “He has one song that he plays, and it’s ‘I Got Rob’.

Tim Bell, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, said Johnson often drew inspiration from his political hero, Winston Churchill, who led Britain to victory in World War Two only to be ousted from power in 1945 — and then restored to office. Several years later.

I think he thought he could spend some time in the ‘wild before the Tories and the country called him back in their hour of need,’ said Bell.

“Frankly, I think that’s unlikely. I think the party portal has confirmed that he’s toxic in relation to many voters. And I think the way he’s acted over the last two or three days — and some people will say over the last two or three years — probably means that Most of his colleagues would rather he disappear in a puff of smoke.”

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