British PM, Boris Johnson Resigns As Tory Leader

• Says ‘It’s clearly the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party’

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday resigned as the leader of the country’s Conservative Party, conceding that ‘no one is remotely indispensable’, and he is ‘sad’ to be giving up the ‘best job in the world’

According to him, the government has much more to do and he wants to level up because he believes talent is evenly spread.

In a speech announcing his resignation as the Tory leader, Johnson said he tried without success to persuade colleagues that changing the leader would be “eccentric”.

Admitting his failure at persuading and convincing them to stay by him, Johnson said despite the party’s “vast mandate”, it is only “a handful of points behind in the polls”.

He says in politics “no one is remotely indispensable”, adding that; “The “Darwinian” electoral system will produce a new leader”, adding that there are people who will be disappointed while he is “sad to be giving up the best job in the world”.

The British Prime Minister, who thanked his wife Carrie and his family, civil servant, and staff who have helped him, referring to being “here at Chequers”, before he corrects himself. And he thanks his protection team – the one group who does not leak, he says.

Recalling that he was elected with the biggest majority since 1987 and the biggest share of the vote since 1979, Johnson acknowledged being proud of what he has done, while mentioning Brexit; getting the country through the pandemic; delivering the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe and Britain’s lead in supporting Ukraine as part of his milestone achievements.

While reflecting on his attempt at resisting the pressure to resign because he still wanted to deliver on his election mandate, Johnson said: “I want to say to the millions of people who voted for us in 2019, many of them voting Conservative for the first time, thank you for that incredible mandate, the biggest Conservative majority since 1987, the biggest share of the vote since 1979.

“And the reason I have fought so hard in the last few days to continue to deliver that mandate in person was not just because I wanted to do so, but because I felt it was my job, my duty, my obligation to you to continue to do what we promised in 2019.”

On wishing to serve on as PM until a new leader is in place he said: “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. And I’ve agreed with Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of our backbench MPs, that the process of choosing that new leader should begin now and the timetable will be announced next week. And I’ve today appointed a cabinet to serve, as I will, until a new leader is in place.”

Interestingly, the Johnson did not repeat the line briefed by No 10 this morning about how he might be able to stay as PM until the autumn. But he did not indicate any desire for the leadership contest to be over quickly either. How long he intends, or will be allowed, to remain in office as PM remains unresolved.

However, he promised support for the new party leader, saying; “To that new leader, I say, whoever he or she may be, I will give you as much support as I can’.

But political watchers are already saying that given Johnson’s record on loyalty, this might not be much a consolation to the next leader. – With The Guardian report