Published: Less than 2 hours ago
Boris Johnson has survived many scandals. But when two of his ministers choose to resign in protest, it is by all accounts the death knell for the prime minister.
– It is almost impossible to see any way out for him now, says political scientist Nicholas Aylott.
At intervals of a few minutes, Boris Johnson lost both his finance minister Rishi Sunak and health minister Sajid Javid, who both announced in separate letters that they were resigning.
The British Prime Minister has stood up to many scandals during his time in office. But Tuesday’s departure in protest against his leadership will probably be the last straw for the already full cup, believes Nicholas Aylott, associate professor of political science at Södertörn University.
– I have lost count of how many times I have said that “now it’s over”. But this time I do not think he can survive, it is almost impossible to see any way out for him now, says Nicholas Aylott.
Repeated patterns
The defection comes after the latest scandal about the high-ranking member of parliament Chris Pincher who was forced to resign after accusations of being drunk on two men.
On Tuesday, Johnson suddenly admitted, contrary to previous statements, that he already in 2019 was aware of the accusations against Chris Pincher. Johnson admitted it was a mistake and apologized.
Sajid Javid writes in his resignation letter that “it is clear that this situation will continue under your leadership – and therefore you have lost my trust”.
According to Nicholas Aylott, the handling of the Pincher case shows a pattern that is repeated around the Prime Minister, something he believes that many conservative MPs are now saddened by.
– The scandal itself is unpleasant and not at all funny, but manageable I would say.
– But Johnson and his spokespersons say one thing, before it soon turns out that it is not true. Conservative MPs are, of course, tired of taking a stand on an issue that is then changed several times. The reluctance to tell everything from the beginning is the most frustrating part for many Members, I would think.
Disappearing little chance
Nicholas Aylott believes that Boris Johnson can announce his resignation within the next 24 hours, otherwise the British leader risks being met by more resignations from the government.
– It has been another terribly embarrassing day for him. I have a very hard time seeing how anyone could cope in this situation when two heavyweights in the cabinet jump off.
TT: Is there any way for him to stay?
– If he still chooses to stand and fight and no other minister chooses to resign, there is little chance, but the space is vanishingly small.