Boris Johnson has resigned as leader of the Conservative Party

Exhausted by scandals and weakened by an unprecedented series of resignations, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson finally decided to step down from power on Thursday, announcing he would step down as leader of the Conservative Party.

• Read more: Boris Johnson’s three tumultuous years in power

• Read more: The minister responsible for Northern Ireland left Johnson’s government

• Read more: Who could replace an increasingly weakened Boris Johnson?

“It’s the desire of the Conservative Party to have a new leader and a new prime minister,” he said during a six-minute speech outside Downing Street, adding that “it’s sad to leave a great job.” world”.

Boris Johnson said a timetable for choosing a new Conservative leader would be set out next week.

Recognizing his defeat, he considered it “mad” that his government nevertheless wanted to remove him.

After three tumultuous years, marked by the Brexit he championed, the coronavirus pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and record inflation, Boris Johnson has promised whoever succeeds him will have “all (his) support”.

The Ukrainian president thanked Boris Johnson, a leading figure in Western support for Kiev, for his support in “very difficult times”.

From Bali, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called for “peace and unity”, believing Boris Johnson had “made the right decision” as a possible successor.

A YouGov poll of Conservative Party members has put Defense Secretary Ben Wallace as the favorite behind Mr Johnson.

“We don’t need change under the leadership of the Tories. We need real change of government,” Opposition Leader Keir Starmer argued earlier, adding that Mr. Johnson threatened a vote of no confidence in the House if he remained in power.

“It’s about time!”

Boris Johnson, once a popular stalwart, has sunk in the polls: almost 70% of Britons want him out, according to two polls this week.

Last month, he survived a no-confidence vote, although 40% of Conservative MPs refused to give him confidence.

• Listen to Philippe-Vincent Fossey’s commentary on QUB Radio:

“It’s about time! Seriously, we’ve never seen someone so arrogant, so ignorant, so delusional,” Helen Dewdney, 53, told AFP in London.

Cletus Moraes, 51, who works at a law firm, replied, “After the lie (…) to me, he betrayed the country.”

Resignations and calls for Mr Johnson’s departure continued on Thursday as Downing Street announced a series of appointments to replace outgoing ministers and secretaries of state.

New finance minister Nadim Zahavi, who was appointed on Tuesday, called on Boris Johnson to “get out now”, while Michael Donnellan, who was appointed on Tuesday, announced his resignation, saying there was “no other option”.

In total, around sixty departures have been announced in government since Tuesday, including five ministers, the fastest exit in British political history.

Again on Wednesday evening, several ministers took to Downing Street to try to convince Boris Johnson, who has lost the confidence of the Conservative Party, that he should resign for the good of the country, and for the good of the country.

“Bye Boris”

Throughout the day, the 58-year-old prime minister fired back in a phone call on Wednesday evening before retaliating by saying he had an “enormous mandate”. Back in the day, Michael Gove was in charge of regional restructuring.

Dissatisfaction had been simmering for months, particularly fueled by the scandal of illegal parties in Downing Street during the anti-Covid lockdown, when Britons had to respect more stringent rules.

Boris Johnson, who is known for being unfaithful, has varied his interpretations, fueling frustration and anger among elected Conservatives in a country facing record inflation of 9% and social movements.

The resignations of Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid on Tuesday evening sounded halal for the prime minister after a fresh sex scandal involving a deputy “whip” responsible for disciplining Tory MPs appointed by Mr Johnson. In February, “forgetting” past accusations of the same type.

Boris Johnson announced on Thursday that he would resign as leader of the Conservative Party to make way for a new prime minister.

Here are the highlights of his six-minute speech, outside his Downing Street home as some members of his government and Conservative MPs turned up to show their support.

Regarding his resignation

“Conservatives want a new leader and a new prime minister”.

“The process of electing a new leader should start now and the plan will be announced next week. “I have appointed a new government that will serve as me until a new leader is in place,” he explained.

In the last days

“The reason I have fought so hard to continue this term in person over the past few days is not only because I want to, but because I feel it is my job, my duty, your duty to continue what we promised in 2019. .”

“I’ve been trying to convince my colleagues over the last few days that it would be crazy to change government when we’ve achieved so much, we have such a broad mandate and we’re only a few points behind in the polls,” he said. .

“I regret not succeeding” in convincing them.

In his balance sheet

“I am very proud of this government’s achievements: achieving Brexit, resolving our relations with the continent (…), giving back to this country the power to make its own laws,” he said.

The prime minister congratulated himself on having succeeded in “getting the country through the epidemic by setting up the fastest vaccination campaign in Europe”.

He also mentioned his move to support Ukraine after the Russian invasion. “I assure the people of Ukraine that we in the UK will continue to support your fight for freedom as long as it takes.”

On the next ruler

“No one is indispensable in politics.

“I say to the next president, whoever he is, I will give them all the support I can.”

For the British

“I want to say to the millions of people who voted for us in 2019, many of them for the first time: thank you for this incredible mandate”.

“You should know how sad I am to give up the best job in the world. But that’s life.”

“I know many will be relieved (by my exit) and some will be disappointed,” with nearly 7 in 10 voters calling for her to step down, according to a recent poll.

“Being prime minister is an education. I have traveled all over England (…) although things may seem bleak at times, I know our future is golden.