The race for the succession of Boris Johnson is launched Friday, July 8 within the British Conservative Party, the day after the resignation of the Prime Minister swept away by an unprecedented avalanche of defections in his government due to repeated scandals.

Without waiting for the timetable, scheduled for next week, for the election of a new Conservative leader, MP Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Parliament, confirmed his candidacy on Thursday evening, thus becoming the first to declare after the announcement of the departure of Boris Johnson.

Among the main candidates to succeed him are at the top of the table the Minister of Defense Ben Wallace, followed, according to a YouGov poll, by the Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, Penny Mordaunt, figure of the campaign in favor of Brexit .

Announcing his resignation in a short speech in front of Downing Street, Boris Johnson, 58, said he would remain in power until his successor was appointed.

“I have appointed a new government which will be in office, just like me, until the new leader is in place,” he said, without a word for the open crisis caused by the sixty resignations. in his government since Tuesday, after yet another scandal.

During a council of ministers in the afternoon, he said he would leave "major budgetary decisions" to his successor, before announcing a series of appointments to replenish the ranks of a decimated government.

The idea of ​​an interim was immediately denounced by the opposition and some conservative heavyweights.

Former Prime Minister John Major (1990-1997), deemed it "reckless and perhaps untenable" that Boris Johnson stay "longer than necessary" in Downing Street.

"We don't need a change in the leadership of the Tories. We need a real change in government," argued opposition leader Keir Starmer.

"Immensely proud"

A majority of Britons (56%) also want the interim to be done by someone else, according to a YouGov poll.

77% believe Boris Johnson was right to resign.

Like the feelings aroused by Boris Johnson, the front pages of the British press on Friday displayed a wide range: from a distressed "What the hell did they do?"

(Daily Mail), a grateful "Thank you" for Brexit (The Sun, Daily Express), to the "Worst prime minister ever" (Daily Record), to more sober "Johnson throws in the towel" ( The Times) or "It's (almost) over" (The Guardian).  

In announcing his resignation, Boris Johnson said he was "tremendously proud" of his record, referring in particular to Brexit, the anti-Covid vaccination campaign and his support for Ukraine.

After two tumultuous 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 rising social conflict, Boris Johnson was pushed out by his own camp, tired of repeated scandals and lies.

"New page"

After the announcement of his resignation, Boris Johnson telephoned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Ukrainian presidency thanked him for his support "in the most difficult times".

His departure is "an opportunity to return to the true spirit of partnership and mutual respect that we need", said Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, as relations between Dublin and London are strained over North Ireland.

After years of rocky relations, the European Union also hopes that the departure of the Brexit champion will be an opportunity to renew dialogue with London on Northern Ireland.

Officially, the European Commission declined to comment, but for the EU's former chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, "the departure of Boris Johnson opens a new page in relations with Great Britain ".

With AFP

The summary of the

France 24 week invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 app

google-play-badge_FR