Boris Johnson’s Departure from Parliament Sets Up a Showdown with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
Boris Johnson’s announcement of stepping down as a Member of Parliament has raised concerns of him being a dangerous maverick, hell-bent on bringing down Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Johnson blames Sunak and the Whitehall machinery for his downfall. While Sunak’s resignation as Chancellor hastened Johnson’s political demise, his departure as an MP could severely impact Sunak, given the upcoming parliamentary by-elections. Johnson will be stepping down as an MP along with Nadine Dorries, and Labour may challenge both seats in the upcoming elections. If the Conservatives lose the next election and Sunak steps down as party leader, expectations remain that Johnson would seek to lead the Conservatives into opposition and try to restore them to power.
Johnson to “Step Aside” as MP and Here’s What He Plans to Do
Johnson has held crucial positions in media and politics, having served as the Mayor of London and a journalist before his foray into politics. His tenure as the UK’s prime minister was marred by the Covid crisis and Brexit. Johnson’s departure as an MP and criticbof Sunak’s strategy has eroded the Conservative support base, and rumors are circulating that even more Boris-ites could resign. For Sunak, an incumbent prime minister trying to restore order, this could spell trouble. Johnson has been trying to retain his hold on the Conservatives while blaming Sunak for his downfall. He has also compared his situation with a rigged parliamentary process to that of Donald Trump’s in the US, further fueling criticism and skepticism.
Summary:
Boris Johnson’s announcement of his departure from Parliament could severely impact Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s position and the Conservative Party’s chance of success in the upcoming parliamentary by-elections. Johnson’s criticism of Sunak’s tenure as the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Whitehall machinery has made him a dangerous maverick in Downing Street’s eyes, and rumors of more Boris-ites resigning may further exacerbate the situation. Johnson’s comparison of his situation to Donald Trump’s rigged parliamentary process further adds to the controversies involving his retirement. The possibility of Johnson leading the Conservatives into opposition and trying to restore their power in case of a loss in the next elections cannot be ruled out.
Additional Piece:
The current state of British politics is marked by uncertainty, controversy, and chaos. The Covid crisis and Brexit have severely impacted the Conservative Party’s support base, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s role as the leader of the party has been questioned time and again. The recent announcement of Boris Johnson’s departure from Parliament has only added to the concerns, with many pundits speculating that this could be a severe blow to the party’s already precarious position.
Johnson’s criticism of Sunak’s tenure as the Chancellor of the Exchequer is not new. His allegations of the Whitehall machinery preventing him from handing out honors to his acolytes, including a proposed knighthood for his father Stanley, have been widely reported. Johnson’s claims of not being able to cut taxes and spend adequately due to Sunak’s interventions during his fight to stay at Number 10 last year has further soured their relationship. Sunak’s resignation as the Chancellor hastened Johnson’s political demise, and his subsequent departure as an MP could lead to further hurdles for the Conservatives, with the upcoming parliamentary by-elections set to pose a significant challenge.
The potential threat to Sunak’s leadership comes from the upcoming parliamentary by-elections, with Labour vowing to challenge both seats. Nadine Dorries’ seat in Mid Bedfordshire, though usually a Conservative stronghold, may witness an upset, given the circumstances. Johnson’s headquarters in Uxbridge, west London, also looks set to fall to Labour, and rumors are circulating that other Boris-ites could also resign. All of these are significant challenges for Sunak, who has been trying to unite the party and set it on the path to success in the next elections.
However, it is the uncertainty surrounding Johnson’s future that is causing the most concern. With Johnson stepping down as an MP, the question remains as to what his next move will be. Johnson’s loyalists have already started discussing the possibility of him seeking selection as a candidate in his safe old Tory seat of Henley or taking over Dorries’ constituency in the upcoming elections. The idea of Johnson leading the Conservatives into opposition and trying to restore their power in case of loss cannot be ruled out.
The controversies surrounding Johnson’s departure, criticism of Sunak, and comparison with Donald Trump’s rigged parliamentary process only add to the chaos already present in British politics. However, one thing is clear: Johnson’s departure from Parliament has further raised the stakes and posed new challenges for the Conservative Party and its leader. Only time will tell if the party can overcome these hurdles and emerge victorious in the upcoming elections.
Statistics show that the Conservative Party has seen a significant decline in its support base since the Covid crisis and Brexit, with several pundits predicting that the next elections will be closely contested. The uncertainty surrounding Johnson’s departure and the potential impact on the party only add to the challenges Sunak faces. However, as the past has shown, British politics can be unpredictable, and the Conservatives will undoubtedly leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of success.
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When Boris Johnson said on Friday he would leave parliament ‘for now’, rarely can two words have been charged with such political menace.
Johnson is leave parliament in a blaze of Trumpian rage, but it doesn’t go away. Seen from Downing Street, Johnson is now a dangerous maverick, intent on doing everything in his power to bring down Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
This is personal. Sunak and the Whitehall machinery prevented Johnson from handing out honors to a number of the former premier’s acolytes, including a proposed knighthood for his father, Stanley.
Johnson also blames Sunak for his downfall, claiming his former chancellor prevented him from spending and cutting taxes as he fought to stay at No. 10 last year.
Sunak’s resignation as chancellor hastened Johnson’s political demise. “Spicy” is how a cabinet minister described Johnson’s move on Friday night.
Some Tory MPs told the Financial Times on Friday night that Johnson was ‘over’, which is a busted blush that jumped before being pushed by the parliamentary committee investigating the “partygate” scandal..
“Safe journey,” said a former Tory cabinet minister. Another former minister said: “The whole thing is disgusting, including its praise list.”
But Johnson can still cause serious problems. The fact that he and his political soul mate Nadine Dorries are both stepping down as MPs with immediate effect is the prime threat to the prime minister.
The last thing Sunak needs are two parliamentary by-elections, both in Labour’s sights. Both races are expected to take place before the summer break.
Dorries’ seat in Mid Bedfordshire would be a solid Conservative seat in normal times with a majority of 24,664 at the 2019 election, but Labor will be confident of getting an upset under the circumstances.
Johnson’s headquarters in Uxbridge, west London, looks set to fall to Labour. Johnson’s majority of 7,210 in 2019 would be difficult to defend in the next general election.
There was already talk of Johnson making the ‘chicken run’ from his seat ahead of next year’s election – now that speculation is feverish in Tory circles.
The theory goes that the Conservatives lose the by-election in both Uxbridge and the Mid Beds, but that the old Dorries constituency will be looking for a big hitter to win it back from Labor in the general election.
A step forward Boris Johnson? “The idea of Boris moving in for Nadine is absolutely what people are talking about – 100 per cent,” said a senior Tory official.
Rather than face the ignominy of being ousted from his seat over the partygate scandal, Johnson has come out claiming he is the victim of a rigged parliamentary process, echoing the tactics deployed in the US by Donald Trump.
Had he regenerated as MP for the Mid Beds at the next election, Johnson would have followed in the footsteps of his hero Winston Churchill, who regularly swapped parliamentary seats.
Another option being discussed by Tory MPs would be for Johnson to seek selection as a candidate in his safe old Tory seat of Henley. Either way, he won’t make life easy for Sunak.
If the Conservatives lose the next election and Sunak steps down as party leader, Johnson would also be able to emulate Churchill in 1945 by leading the Conservatives into opposition and trying to restore them to power.
It may sound fanciful, but so was Johnson’s career. Conservative MPs have learned never to bet against a politician with huge appeal among the party base.
Few Tory MPs believe now is the right time to write Johnson’s political obituary. His decision to immediately leave the parliament was rather an occasion to lash out at Sunak and leave open the possibility of his return.
Many Conservative MPs are fed up with the drama, which they believe is helping to undermine any chance Sunak had of uniting the party before next year’s election.
Johnson, a former journalist and former mayor of London, was the driving force behind Brexit and won an 80-seat majority in 2019 as Tory leader.
His tenure coincided with the Covid crisis. The culture of breaking the bloc overwhelmed him and he hastened his departure as prime minister last fall.
Johnson recently made a lonely figure in Westminster and was one of only 22 Conservative MPs who voted against Sunak’s plan to rewrite post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland.
His parliamentary fan club has shriveled up in recent months, but rumors circulated in Westminster on Friday night that other hardcore ‘Boris-ites’ could also resign. No one, however, has confirmed that this was their intention.
But with Johnson comes chaos. For Sunak, a prime minister trying to restore order, that can spell nothing but trouble.
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https://www.ft.com/content/568010c2-a11e-498b-a934-e225e2d640aa
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