Changes on Downing Street: Boris Johnson announces his resignation as British Prime Minister

Boris Johnson announced his decision to step down as British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party.

At the same time, according to him, he will perform duties until the appointment of a new head of the Cabinet. 

“The process of choosing a new leader should start now.

Deadlines will be determined next week,” Johnson said.

“I know that even if everything seems bleak now, our future together will be golden.”

In his speech, he did not bypass the situation in Ukraine, promising that the British government would continue to support Kyiv for as long as necessary.

Johnson added that he tried to convince his colleagues that there was no need to change the government: “I regret that I did not succeed in these disputes.

And of course, it hurts not to be able to bring so many ideas and projects to the end.”

At the same time, even the day before, Johnson spoke about the unacceptability of the resignation of the government during the crisis faced by the UK, and his secretary emphasized in the media that the prime minister "is in high spirits and will continue to fight."

These statements were made against the backdrop of mass resignations: in less than two days, more than 50 people left the government, thereby expressing dissatisfaction with the methods of work of the head of the Cabinet.

Recall that the reason for Johnson's criticism was the fact that he appointed Christopher Pincher to the post of deputy coordinator of the Tory parliamentary faction, knowing that he was a defendant in the investigation of harassment.

As a result, the appointee was again seen molesting men, and the prime minister had to apologize.

According to a YouGov poll among conservatives, Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace is considered the favorite for the vacant prime minister.

London's Madame Tussauds promptly responded to the change in the country's political leadership by placing a sign with the words "Free" on the doorway, imitating the entrance to the prime minister's residence.

“Today we changed our Downing Street a little,” the message says.

• © Madame Tussauds London

Moscow's position

The Kremlin noted that they are watching a large-scale government crisis in the UK, but this is not a priority topic for the Russian authorities.

“As for Mr. Johnson himself, he does not like us very much.

We are his, too, ”said Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the president.

He also expressed the hope that more professional people will someday come to power in the United Kingdom.

According to the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, Johnson was hit by a boomerang launched by himself - in the situation with his predecessor Theresa May.

“He left Theresa May in exactly the same way when she went overboard with the Skripals and started to get stuck.

Johnson escaped from a sinking ship, betting on his own career.

This time, his comrades handed him over.

And how they passed.

Moral - do not seek to destroy Russia.

Russia cannot be destroyed.

And you can break your teeth on it, choking on them, ”she wrote in her Telegram channel.

In turn, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said that Johnson is guilty of shelling Belgorod and Kursk, since he is one of the "main ideologists of the war against Russia to the last Ukrainian."

"That's right - the leaders of European states should think about what such a policy leads to," he added.

Johnson is one of the weakest British prime ministers in the entire post-war history, who will be remembered only for his extravagance and frank, hostile, aggressive Russophobia, Vladimir Dzhabarov, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, told RT.

“It is clear that he resigned not because of Ukraine, but because the government itself is completely unbalanced there, since all of its key ministers resigned.

He lost completely the authority and support of his party.

I believe that this is the worst prime minister in the entire post-war history of Great Britain, ”the senator emphasized.

According to Dmitry Belik, a member of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Johnson has become the personification of the modern British political establishment, which does not know how to conduct a correct foreign policy line.

“One of the main enemies of the Russian Federation is resigning under pressure from British politicians.

Who will take his place?

Most likely, someone similar, just less disheveled, ”explained the interlocutor of RT.