In yet another blow to Boris Johnson, the embattled UK Prime Minister, the Conservative party vice-chairman Bim Afolami, announced his resignation on live television.
Speaking in a Talk TV interview, the 36-year-old said that Johnson had lost the country’s support.
“I just don’t think the prime minister any longer has, not just my support, but he doesn’t have, I don’t think, the support of the party, or indeed the country any more” he said, adding, “I think for that reason he should step down.”
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Afolami, who was appointed in his current role in February 2022, also offered his resignation on live television, saying “I think you have to resign because I can’t serve under the prime minister – but I say that with regret because I think this government has done some great things.”
The news comes after health and finance ministers Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak handed in their resignations, both saying that they couldn’t continue working for the current government in good conscience.
Johnson has been in troubled waters with the partygate scandal, and recently avoided a no-confidence motion. However, his actions have led many within the Conservative party itself to lose faith. Recently, Johnson’s handling of the Chris Pincher situation raised a further outcry.
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The deputy chief whip stepped down amid accusations of groping people at dinner. It later emerged that Johnson had been aware of such complaints against Pincher at the time he was appointed to his position. A Downing Street spokesperson also didn’t deny that Johnson used the phrase “Pincher by name, pincher by nature”, when speaking of the Conservative party member.
Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer of the Labour party also said that Johnson is unfit to be the PM and said “We need a fresh start for Britain. We need a change of government.”