LONDON: The leader of the UK opposition, Keir Starmer, on Sunday, called for a general election as three members of the ruling Conservative Party, including former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, quit parliament following an investigation into Covid lockdown-breaking parties.
Starmer urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to “find a backbone” and let the public have their say on what he described as 13 years of Tory failure.
In a tweet, Starmer expressed that the “farce” must stop and emphasized that the public has grown tired of a shambolic Tory government and a prime minister nobody voted for. Johnson, who announced his departure from parliament on Friday, claimed that he had been forced out as a result of a political conspiracy orchestrated by his opponents.
This farce must stop. People have had enough of a shambolic Tory government and a weak Prime Minister no one voted for.
Rishi Sunak must finally find a backbone, call an election, and let the public have their say on 13 years of Tory failure.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 10, 2023
The 58-year-old Johnson had been under scrutiny by a cross-party committee investigating whether he deliberately misled parliament about parties during his time in office. Faced with the imminent release of the committee’s findings, Johnson stated that he had been contacted by them, and it was made clear that they intended to use the proceedings to push him out of parliament.
By resigning, Johnson avoids the repercussions of a potentially embarrassing battle to retain his seat in the Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency, where he holds a narrow majority of just over 7,000 votes. Johnson criticized the committee, chaired by opposition Labour MP Harriet Harman, as a “kangaroo court” and expressed his dismay at being “forced out, anti-democratically” due to what he perceived as biased treatment.
Challenges for UK Government
The resignations of Johnson’s allies, Nadine Dorries and Nigel Adams, triggered three by-elections and left the government facing further challenges amidst declining popularity in polls. Speculation is now swirling regarding Johnson’s next move, including the possibility of him seeking re-election as a Member of Parliament in the upcoming general election scheduled for next year.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, an influential supporter of Johnson, expressed in an article in the Mail on Sunday that the former Tory leader could easily regain a parliamentary seat in the next election. Rees-Mogg also warned party officials against obstructing such a bid, cautioning that it could fracture party unity and plunge the Conservatives into internal conflict.
