Timeline: From Brexit to Partygate
LONDON (AP) — He was the mayor who basked in the glory of hosting the 2012 London Olympics, and the man who led the Conservatives to a thumping election victory on the back of his promise to get Brexit done.” But Boris Johnson's time as prime minister was marred by his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and a steady stream of ethics allegations, from alcohol-fueled government parties that broke lockdown rules to how he handled a sexual misconduct scandal involving a senior party lawmaker.
Here is a timeline of events relating to Johnson's political career:
2001-2008: Serves as a member of Parliament in the House of Commons representing Henley.
2008-2016: Serves as London mayor, overseeing 2012 London Olympics.
2016: Co-leader of campaign to take Britain out of the European Union, in opposition to then-Prime Minister David Cameron. Cameron resigns after voters approve Brexit in a national referendum on June 23, 2016.
2016-18: Serves as Foreign Secretary under Cameron’s successor, Theresa May. Johnson resigns in July 2018 in opposition to May's strategy for a “soft” Brexit that would maintain ties with the EU.
June 7, 2019: May resigns as Conservative Party leader over her failure to persuade Parliament to back the Brexit agreement she
negotiated with the EU.
July 23, 2019: Johnson is elected Conservative Party leader and inherits a minority government. Johnson insists Britain will leave the EU on Oct. 31.
Aug. 28, 2019: Johnson announces he will shut down Parliament until mid-October, giving opponents less time to thwart a no-deal Brexit.
Sept. 3, 2019: Twenty-one rebel Conservative Party lawmakers support legislation requiring the government to seek an extension of
Brexit negotiations if it can’t negotiate an agreement with the EU. The measure passes and the rebels are expelled from the party.
Sept. 5, 2019: Johnson asserts he would rather be “dead in a ditch” than ask the EU for another extension.
Sept. 24, 2019: U.K. Supreme Court rules government’s suspension of Parliament was unlawful.
Oct. 19, 2019: Johnson asks the EU to delay Brexit again.
Nov. 6, 2019: Parliament is dissolved and elections are set for mid-December.
Dec. 12, 2019: Johnson wins an 80seat majority in the general election.
Jan. 23, 2020: Brexit deal approved by U.K. Parliament. European Parliament approves the deal six days later.
March 23, 2020: Johnson places U.K. in first lockdown due to COVID-19.
April 5, 2020: Johnson hospitalized and later moved to intensive care with COVID-19. He is released from the hospital on April 12.
Nov. 3-4, 2021: Johnson’s government orders Conservative lawmakers to support a change in ethics rules to delay the suspension of Owen Paterson, who had been censured for breaching lobbying rules. The measure passes. A day later, Johnson reverses course and allows lawmakers to vote on Paterson’s suspension. Paterson resigns.
Nov. 30, 2021: Allegations surface that government officials attended parties in government offices during November and December 2020 in violation of COVID-19 lockdown rules. Johnson denies the allegations, but criticism grows.
Feb. 3: Johnson's longtime aide, Munira Mirza, quits.
March 23: Government announces a mid-year spending plan that's criticized for doing too little to help people struggling with the soaring cost of living. Treasury chief Rishi Sunak refuses to delay a planned income tax increase.
April 9: Johnson meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in
Kyiv, pledging a new package of military and economic support.
April 12: Johnson is fined 50 pounds for attending a lockdown party.
May 22: Findings of the “Partygate” investigation detail 16 gatherings between May 2020 and April 2021.
May 26: Government reverses course on its tax decision on oil and gas companies and announces plans for a 25% windfall profits levy.
June 6: Johnson narrowly wins a vote of no confidence, but it shakes his grip on power.
June 15: Christopher Geidt quits as ethics adviser to Johnson.
June 24: Johnson’s Conservatives lose two byelections.
June 29: Parliament’s cross-party Privileges Committee issues a call for evidence for a probe into whether Johnson misled
Parliament over lockdown parties.
June 30: Chris Pincher resigns as Conservative deputy chief whip amid allegations he assaulted two guests at a club in London. Previous sexual misconduct allegations emerge about Pincher. Questions swirl about whether Johnson knew about the claims.
July 5: Johnson apologizes for his handling of the Pincher scandal. Two senior Cabinet ministers, Treasury chief Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid, quit.
July 6: Some three dozen junior ministers resign.
July 7: Johnson resigns as Conservative Party leader, but plans to remain as prime minister until a new leader is picked.