LONDON (AP) – Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Britain was shocked on Friday by resigning as an MP after he was told he would be punished for misleading Parliament. He left with a fierce tirade on his political opponents – and on his successor, Rishi Sunak – which could lead to open tensions within the ruling Conservative Party.
Johnson resigned after receiving the results of an investigation by lawmakers into misleading statements he made to parliament about the “gate party”, a series of government parties flouting rules during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a lengthy resignation statement, Johnson accused opponents of trying to oust him — and hinted that his volatile political career may not be over yet.
He said, “It is very sad that I am leaving Parliament – at least for the time being.”
Johnson, 58, said he had “received a letter from the Privileges Committee which made it clear – much to my surprise – that they were determined to use the proceedings against me to remove me from Parliament”.
He described the committee investigating him – which includes members of the government and opposition parties – as a “kangaroo court”.
“Their goal from the start was to convict me, regardless of the facts,” Johnson said.
The resignation would trigger a special election to replace Johnson as an MP for a suburban London seat in the House of Commons.
Johnson, whose career has seen a string of scandals and comebacks, led the Conservatives to a landslide victory in 2019 but was forced out of office by his party less than three years later.
He was awaiting the outcome of an inquiry by the House of Commons Standards Committee into misleading statements he made to parliament about a large number of gatherings on government buildings in 2020 and 2021 that breached pandemic lockdown rules.
Police eventually issued 126 fines for late night parties, wild parties and “wine time Fridays”, including one for Johnson, and the scandal helped hasten the end of his premiership.
Johnson acknowledged misleading Parliament when he assured lawmakers that no rules were being broken, but said he did not do so deliberately.
He told the committee that he “sincerely believed” the five events he attended, including an employee farewell and surprise birthday party, were “legitimate work gatherings” meant to boost morale among exhausted employees dealing with a deadly pandemic.
The committee was expected to publish its report in the next few weeks, and Johnson could have faced suspension from the House of Commons if it was found that he had knowingly lied.
By resigning, he avoids a suspension that could have led to 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 has been highly critical of Sunak, who served as Chief Treasury in Johnson’s cabinet before jumping ship with several other colleagues in July 2022 – resignations that forced Johnson to step down.
Johnson has targeted Sunak, who was chosen by the Conservatives in October to install the government after the tenure of Johnson and his successor, Liz Truss, who resigned after six weeks when tax-cutting policies caused financial turmoil.
Johnson claimed that “when I left office last year, the government was only a few points behind in the opinion polls. That gap has now widened dramatically.”
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.
“Only a few years after winning the largest majority in almost half a century, it is clear that now that majority is in jeopardy,” Johnson said. “Our party desperately needs to regain its sense of momentum and its belief in what this country can do.”
Johnson resigned hours after the resignation of King Charles III He rewarded scores of his loyal aides and allies with knighthoods and other honours, a political tradition of former prime ministers that drew cries of favoritism from opponents of the deposed leader.
Johnson’s dramatic exit is the final — but perhaps not the last — chapter in a career out of the blue. The wrinkled, Latin-speaking, blond-haired populist has held key positions, including mayor of London, but also spent stints on the political sidelines before Brexit propelled him to the top.
Johnson’s bullish boost helped convince 52% of Britons to vote to leave the European Union, and he was elected prime minister in 2019 on a pledge to “finish Brexit”.
He was less suited to the hard work of governing, and the pandemic – which has put Johnson in intensive care with COVID-19 – has been a huge challenge. Johnson’s government has won praise for its swift vaccine rollout, but the UK also has one of the highest coronavirus death tolls in Europe, and some of the longest lockdowns.
The final straw came when details emerged of parties held at Johnson’s Downing Street office and home while the country was in lockdown. “Partygate” caused outrage and finally drove the Conservative Party to oust its election-winning but eccentric leader.
Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the opposition Labor Party, responded to Johnson’s resignation, saying, “Enough, enough.”
“The British public is sick to their back teeth from the never-ending Tory soap opera that has been played to their detriment,” she said.
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