UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson To Resign As party Leader After Losing Cabinet’s Support

By Uganda Online Media Correspondent

Boris Johnson, the prime minister who oversaw the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union and his country’s struggles with the coronavirus pandemic, has agreed to resign having lost the support of top cabinet ministers.

In recent days, the 58-year-old had faced a huge internal revolt in his Conservative Party for appointing a politician accused of sexual assault as an MP.

He has also been heavily criticised for breaking lockdown rules during the coronavirus pandemic.

On Tuesday, Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid, the chancellor and the health minister, quit citing the government’s lack of “integrity” and “competence”.

That set off a series of resignations, with several other top ministers either quitting or calling on Johnson to resign.

British media said Johnson is expected to stay on as prime minister until October.

He is expected to address the public later on Thursday.

Keir Starmer, the leader of Britain’s main opposition Labour party, said Johnson’s expected departure was “good news”, but just changing the leader of the Conservative party was not enough.

“We need a proper change of government,” he said.

Chris Wilkins, a former strategy director and chief speech-writer for UK’s Former Prime Minister Theresa May said that it would be wrong of Johnson to stay on until October as a caretaker prime minister.

“He needs to step aside now. There needs to be a new caretaker prime minister to come in, the people who have resigned given their roles back whilst the leadership contest takes place,” he said.

Johnson had been clinging on to power despite a wave of more than 50 government resignations.

But Thursday’s departure of education minister Michelle Donelan and a plea to quit from finance minister Nadhim Zahawi, only in their jobs for two days, appeared to tip the balance.