The end of UK’s accidental PM
After several scandals, Boris Johnson’s term is finally over. A period of turmoil awaits UK
For one of the greatest survivors in world politics, the end has come swiftly. United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister (PM) Boris Johnson has been swept away by a tide of resignations from his government. What started as a trickle on Tuesday, with the quitting of cabinet ministers Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak turned into a veritable deluge, with more than 50 ministers and aides stepping down over the next two days. At the heart of it all was Mr Johnson’s disastrous handling of the case of former deputy chief whip Chris Pincher, the lawmaker who stepped down after facing serious charges of sexual misconduct. That this came so close on the heels of “partygate”, a scandal over parties at 10 Downing Street amid the Covid-19 lockdown, and revelations that Mr Johnson had been aware of similar allegations against Mr Pincher in the past, made his position untenable.
Given British parliamentary tradition, perhaps the most surprising part was how doggedly Mr Johnson sought to cling to his position amid calls from within his Conservative Party to quit, before deciding on Thursday to resign and stay on as caretaker PM till October, when the party will choose a new leader at an annual conference. But Mr Johnson’s problems are far from over, with Tory Members of Parliament still demanding his immediate eviction from office. The political turmoil couldn’t have come at a worse time for Britain, facing challenges of rising cost of living brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine, the worst conflict in Europe since the end of World War II. There are also issues such as the dispute over the Northern Ireland Protocol, the post-Brexit trade arrangement with widespread ramifications for stability in the region, and fresh calls for a referendum on Scotland’s independence.
Despite winning a landslide victory less than three years ago, Mr Johnson has appeared to be an accidental PM. He did, however, set a lot of stock in strengthening relations with India as part of his promise to forge a “new Britain”. These efforts included a pledge to finalise an India-UK free trade agreement by October and closer ties in defence and security. Clearly, the focus will now shift the UK’s domestic politics and it may be some time before Britain can get back to the all-important task of bolstering its position outside the European Union. But India-UK ties are on a stable footing with institutional and deep-rooted support; whoever emerges out of the churn left in the wake of Mr Johnson’s exit is unlikely to reverse that progress.