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British PM Johnson Agrees To Resign

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

LONDON (Worthy News) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reluctantly agreed to resign as he faced mutiny within his Cabinet, ending a political crisis over his political future.

The 58-year-old Johnson had defied calls by his Cabinet to step down following several scandals.

But he gave in after more than 40 ministers and senior government members quit his administration and told him to go, several sources confirmed.

Yet Johnson left only after he sacked Michael Gove because the Levelling Up secretary told him to quit.

Johnson will continue to serve as prime minister until the autumn to allow a Conservative Party leadership contest to occur. The attorney general for England and Wales, Suella Braverman, already became the first cabinet minister to openly seek to become the prime ministerial candidate in any Conservative Party leadership contest.

Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer welcomed Johnson’s resignation, saying the Conservatives have “inflicted chaos upon the country” with the cost of living spiraling out of control.

FINANCIAL MARKETS

The British pound was trading marginally higher on the news that Johnson would step down as Conservative leader and later, as prime minister, financial market analysts noted. Earlier, the currency fell to two-year lows against the dollar on Wednesday amid rising concerns about global recession as energy and food prices soar.

Johnson’s departure came after he was no longer able to explain-away the scandals marking his turbulent time in office.

Senior cabinet ministers Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid were among the first to resign this week, saying they lacked confidence in Johnson’s political credentials.

They were furious that Johnson apologized for “not realizing” that an ex-minister in charge of pastoral care, a close ally, was unfit for the job after complaints of sexual misconduct against him.

Both ministers seemed to regret they backed Johnson during previous scandals over his involvement in parties at his Downing Street office and residence that broke strict COVID-19 lockdown rules.

The ministers’ decision to quit triggered the avalanche of dozens of resignations. Johnson had argued he has a mandate from the 2019 national election, which he won with a large majority. The prime minister stressed that “it would not be responsible for walking away from the job” in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and war in Europe.

The prime minister was a visible supporter of Ukraine after Russia’s invasion in late February. He visited Kyiv, the capital, where he backed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s war effort, pledging military and other aid to the war-torn nation.