THE BRITISH Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has finally bowed out as leader of the Conservative Party after enduring an avalanche of challenges in the twilight of his career.
The man, with a lion’s heart, kept fighting until it was no longer sensible to continue doing so. Addressing a crowd of his party supporters and of course other curious persons at the lectern of No 10 Downing Street, the seat of government, he said without emotion, “It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new prime minister.”
“I’ve appointed a cabinet to serve, as I will, until a new leader is in place,” he said.
The process will take several weeks to end. Of all the drawbacks that marred the reign of Boris Johnson, his breach of COVID-19 restrictions stood prominent. He was found guilty by the Metropolitan Police which investigated the 58-year-old for the COVID breaches after a public uproar.
No apology came from him save an accusation of colleague lawmakers whom he described as stampeding animals.
Even when he suffered strings of resignations of his key ministers, he appeared ready to fight on.
There were calls for him to step down, a team of colleagues having gone to his house to plead with him to resign. Of course, there were others who wanted him to continue.
Boris Johnson was confined to his residence following his contraction of COVID-19 at the height of the pandemic.
He has had a chequered tenure escaping each low point unscathed. The party gate, as the party he and some colleagues engaged in when the law outlawed such activities at the time came to be known, dealt him an integrity blow. Even then he refused to let go his grip on power.
The resignations were just too much having robbed him of the confidence and strength to carry on running the government.
“As we have seen at Westminster … when the herd moves, it moves. And my friends, in politics, no one is remotely indispensable,” Johnson said.
His tribute to his wife Carrie, who was holding their daughter and watching him when he addressed the crowd, was relished by many.
“I know there are many people who are relieved, and perhaps quite a few who will also be disappointed. I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world,” Johnson said.
There will be no general election. Instead, the new prime minister will be chosen in a vote by dues paying members of the Conservative Party, which will remain in power.
Although it is not uncommon in British politics for a prime minister to stay on until the selection of their successor — Theresa May remained in place for about two months in 2019 — some lawmakers and party grandees warned that Johnson was soiling the party brand and that he was too damaged to stay in office through the summer some media outlets have noted.
By A.R. Gomda with agency reports