LONDON — A delegation of Boris Johnson’s senior ministers — including the chancellor he appointed less than 24 hours ago — is calling for the U.K. prime minister to resign.
Among the group who visited Johnson at No10 Downing Street on Wednesday night was Nadhim Zahawi, appointed to the top finance post on Tuesday following the dramatic resignation of his predecessor. Johnson’s government has been hit by two days of highly damaging resignations and months of questions about his leadership of the Conservative Party.
Wales Minister Simon Hart, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps – a long-time Johnson loyalist – are also among the contingent who spoke to Johnson in Number 10 and urged him to leave, according to three officials close to the cabinet . There are reports that Michelle Donelan, the newly appointed education secretary, is also part of the delegation. A government official confirmed this report.
Meanwhile, the Times reported that Home Secretary Priti Patel, previously a staunch defender of Johnson and one of his most senior ministers, had spoken to the Tory leader and sided with those calling for him to go.
Despite facing more than 30 government resignations – including the departures of senior ministers Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid within minutes of each other – in a single day, the UK prime minister defiantly said on Wednesday that “will continue”.
Pressured by reports that the delegation of senior ministers was waiting to move just a few streets away, Johnson told the House of Commons liaison committee that he would not be commenting on ongoing political events.
Instead, he rejected calls to go to the country in a general election and told senior Tory MP Bernard Jenkin: “On the contrary, what we need is a stable government that loves each other as Conservatives and follows our priorities.”
In Wednesday’s latest developments:
- The Prime Minister told MPs it would not be “responsible” to simply “retire” from the job – but did not deny senior minister Michael Gove had also told him to quit.
- The stream of ministers resigning continued, including Equality Minister Kemi Badenoch, Finance Minister John Glenn, Schools Minister Robin Walker and Environment Secretary Joe Churchill. More than 30 government figures have left the Johnson administration in the past 24 hours.
- Javid, the former health secretary, launched a scathing attack on Johnson’s integrity and record in office in his resignation statement to the House of Commons. He warned his colleagues still serving in Johnson’s cabinet that doing nothing was still an “active decision.”
Johnson’s government has been in crisis mode for months, first fending off criticism over coronavirus bashing parties attended by key figures at the top of British politics, including Johnson himself, and later over his handling of with allegations of abuse by conservative MPs.
Unless he bows to cabinet pressure, however, there is no immediate mechanism to remove Johnson. The convention mandates that the prime minister resign voluntarily after losing the confidence of his party, but he is not required to do so.
Johnson narrowly survived a confidence vote in his leadership in June and, under current Conservative Party rules, is immune from another challenge until 12 months have passed.
The Tory backbench 1922 committee – which oversees the party’s rules – on Wednesday chose not to overturn that rule and trigger an earlier confidence vote.
The committee was concerned that No 10 would accuse them of not having the mandate to do so – but this may be a temporary reprieve.
The Tory group is planning an election for its 18-member governing body on Monday and the new executive will be able to change the rules if it wants to.
Conservative MP Pauline Latham echoed the sentiments of many of her Tory colleagues as Johnson dug deeper on Wednesday night.
“It really makes you wonder what his mindset is,” she told Sky News. “Because he is like a wounded animal that is desperately trying to stop being killed, he should actually move and make room for someone new who can run the country properly with a moral compass.”
Andrew McDonald contributed reporting.
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