Boris Johnson resigns from the leadership of the party, wants to continue as prime minister until the fall - Johnson's speech is expected at 3 p.m., live broadcast
In Britain, dozens of representatives of the administration managed to leave their positions due to a lack of confidence in Prime Minister Johnson.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is resigning as the leader of the Conservative Party, reports the BBC.
He wants to continue as prime minister until autumn. The new prime minister would be appointed in October at the latest.
Johnson is expected to make a statement on the matter on Thursday around 3 pm Finnish time. Yle shows the speech live.
The chairman of the Labor Party, Keir Starmer, recently considered Johnson's decision to be good news.
- We need a proper change in government and a new start for Britain, Starmer says, according to Reuters.
Some politicians demand Johnson's immediate resignation as prime minister as well, reports the Guardian newspaper(you switch to another service).
Britain's new finance minister, Nadim Zahawi, demanded on Twitter earlier on Thursday that Prime Minister Boris Johnson should leave his post. Until now, Zahawi has stood by Johnson.
- The situation is not on a stable footing and it will only get worse for you, the conservative party, and most importantly for this country, writes Zahawi on Twitter.
As recently as Wednesday, Johnson assured me that he is not going to resign. According to the news agency AP, he appealed to the "huge mandate" he received in 2019.
The government's ability to function has been questioned, and Johnson's situation has been seen as difficult. Camilla Cavendish, who was former Prime Minister David Cameron's policy director, has assessed to the BBC that the country currently does not have a functioning government.
Minister Michael Ellis assured the parliament on Thursday that the country will continue to have a functioning government.
- It is our duty to ensure that the country has a functioning government - this applies now more than ever, said Ellis, according to the news agency Reuters.
Earlier, the number of those who left the British administration increased: as of Thursday morning, a total of 50 ministers, deputy ministers, or other members of the administration have resigned due to a lack of confidence in Prime Minister Boris Johnson, reports to news agency AFP.
On Thursday morning, Northern Ireland Minister Brandon Lewis and Security Minister Damian Hinds, and Deputy Ministers Helen Whately, Guy Opperman, James Cartlidge, and Chris Philp announced their resignations.
Johnson has also sacked one minister himself, Housing, Communities, and Local Government Minister Michael Gove, for disloyalty.
Margot James, who worked as a deputy minister in the Conservative Party at the end of the last decade, criticized Gove's dismissal. According to James, Gove was perhaps the most competent minister in the government, whose dismissal was "completely irresponsible"
