United Kingdom: Boris Johnson's surprise resignation highlights the division of the Conservatives

Europe1 .fr with AFP // Photo credit: Brandon Bell/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP 15:48 p.m., June 10, 2023

Boris Johnson's resignation from the British Parliament highlights the deep divisions within the Conservative Party a year before the general election and many commentators doubt Saturday a real political retirement of the former prime minister. The 58-year-old former leader, ousted from Downing Street by his majority last July, handed over Friday night his mandate as MP.

In a long statement, he invokes the parliamentary inquiry into "partygate", the parties held in Downing Street in violation of Covid-19 restrictions. He claims to be the victim of a "witch hunt" and slams his successor, Rishi Sunak. Boris Johnson was under a parliamentary inquiry to determine whether he lied to Parliament by repeatedly claiming that all health restrictions had been respected during these holidays.

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A possible return?

The procedure, conducted by the Committee on Privileges, was in the process of completing its work and, according to the British press, had just submitted its conclusions to the former leader. He therefore seems to have anticipated the suspension he risked being imposed. But despite his resignation, the former leader, as charismatic as controversial, will continue to haunt political life, said Saturday media and commentators. He also wrote that he was leaving Parliament, without failing to specify: "at least for the time being".

Boris Johnson "may have resigned as an MP, but he has made it clear that he does not see this as the end of his political career," the Times said. He has "no intention of remaining silent," the newspaper said. "Even if Johnson doesn't have the opportunity to make a political comeback in the immediate future, that doesn't make him any less dangerous for his successor."

"It is unlikely that Boris Johnson will disappear into obscurity," the BBC said. "Boris Johnson finds himself exactly where he likes to be: at the centre of attention, with viewers wondering what he's going to do next." For the BBC, "the ghost of Boris Johnson haunts Rishi Sunak", but "this is the last thing the Prime Minister needs".

High-risk elections

Rishi Sunak, who since his arrival at the head of government in October has been trying to restore political stability, has remained silent after the departure of Boris Johnson. This resignation seriously aggravates the Prime Minister's difficulties just one year before the general elections. After 13 years in power, the Conservatives are at an all-time low in the polls and at the beginning of May the "Tories" have already suffered significant losses in local elections.

Boris Johnson's departure automatically triggers a by-election in his constituency northwest of London, where he had a majority of only a few thousand votes. A few hours before his resignation, one of his closest allies, his former Minister of Culture who was still an MP, Nadine Dorries, also announced his departure with immediate effect. There will therefore be high-risk local elections in two constituencies.

"With a series of defeats, because it is difficult to see how he could win one of these by-elections, Sunak's authority as prime minister will evaporate," said the Daily Express, which spoke of a "war" within the Conservative Party. In his press release, Boris Johnson has also violently attacked the government of Rishi Sunak.

"When I left office last year, the government was only a handful of points behind in the polls. This gap has now widened considerably," he writes. "Just a few years after winning the largest majority in nearly half a century (his election in 2019, editor's note), this majority is now clearly threatened," he said. "Our party urgently needs to regain its momentum and faith in what this country can do."

The Labour opposition accused Boris Johnson of being a "coward" by resigning, rather than confronting the decision of the Privileges Committee. "He could have defended himself ... and fight the suspension, but he decided not to do it because he knows he is wrong," Labour Angela Rayner told the BBC.