What PM Johnson said while refusing to step down: Job is to keep going

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has refused to step down after sustaining a major blow yesterday with several high-ranking officials staging an exit, refusing to be a part of the scandal-ridden government. 

Johnson told the Parliament “Clearly, if there were circumstances in which I felt it was impossible for the government to go on and discharge the mandate that we’ve been given, or if I felt, for instance, that we were being frustrated in our desire to support the Ukrainian people … then I would”, adding “But frankly, the job of a prime minister in difficult circumstances when you’ve been handed a colossal mandate is to keep going”.

He concluded, “And that’s what I’m going to do”, Reuters reported.

Also Read | What UK PM Boris Johnson told resigning ministers Sajid Javid, Rishi Sunak

While the embattled leader might not be willing to step down, rebel Tory MPs are looking to change the rules to trigger another no-confidence motion. Notably, Johnson survived the last vote in June, winning it by a narrow margin, which should protect him from having to face another such vote before a year. 

However, with the 1922 Committee elections coming up, Johnson’s job might be at risk, though some with the party have called for cooler heads to prevail. 

Since the partygate scandal, Downing Street has been trying to put out fires to protect Johnson’s position as PM. The last straw might have come when it was revealed that he knew about complaints against former deputy chief whip Chris Pincher, at the time he was appointed. Initially, the government had denied that the PM had any knowledge of complaints against Pincher. 

The Conservative party member stepped down from his position on June 30 after being accused of groping guests at dinner, the night before. In 2017, Pincher was removed from the assistant whip position after Olympic rower and fellow party member Alex Story complained about sexual misconduct. A Downing Street spokesperson also didn’t deny that Johnson used the phrase “Pincher by name, pincher by nature” while describing the 52-year-old. 

Also Read | Did Boris Johnson know about Chris Pincher groping complaints?

Following this scandal, health and finance ministers Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak resigned, as did Bim Afolami, Conservative Party vice-chairman and Alex Chalk, solicitor general, apart from a slew of other MPs. While Johnson was quick to replace Javid and Sunak with Steve Barclay and Nadhim Zahawi, the latest development shows that his support within the party is shrinking.