5 scandals that brought Boris Johnson down
Boris Johnson resigned as the prime minister (PM) of the United Kingdom (UK) on Thursday after being deserted by more than 50 government ministers or aides who resigned on Thursday. Newly appointed Treasury Chief Nadhim Zahawi had told the prime minister to resign for the good of the country. Finally, the former London mayor agreed to call it quits on Thursday.
The once-popular Johnson, known for his flamboyance, was isolated and powerless when he announced his resignation outside 10, Downing Street. Johnson, who had won big on his Brexit promise in 2019, lost the fight some time ago. His three-year stint as UK PM was, however, not without its share of controversies and scandals. From Tory's party-gate scandal to sex scandals to the Pincher affair.
PM Johnson has been in the middle of the "partygate" scandal ever since reports of "bring-your-own-booze" (BYOB) parties in and around Downing Street during the COVID-19-induced lockdowns were published. The 2020-21 parties breached the strict COVID-19 restrictions and were illegal. In his defense, Johnson had said that it "did not occur to me" that the "birthday gathering, complete with a cake, was a party."
A senior former civil servant Simon McDonald had accused that Johnson's office had given false information about past sexual harassment allegations against lawmaker Christopher Pincher. On Monday, McDonald wrote a letter saying he had investigated the allegations in 2019 and had upheld the complaints. Last week, Pincher was suspended from the party after acknowledging the past sexual harassment allegations.
Other Tory lawmakers were also embroiled in sexual scandals prompting them to resign. Imran Ahmad Khan resigned after he was found guilty of having sexually abused a 15-year-old boy. While Neil Parish resigned after acknowledging that he watched pornography on his phone in the House of Commons twice. Another lawmaker, whose name hasn't been revealed, was arrested on alleged rape and sexual assault charges.
Owen Paterson, a former minister, was found to be involved in an "egregious case of paid advocacy" by lobbying on behalf of companies that paid him. The parliament's standards committee recommended suspending him for 30 days. However, the Conservatives had initially voted to halt his suspension but following media pressure, Paterson resigned. The Conservatives lost the election to fill Paterson's seat.
Johnson's 11, Downing Street apartment was refurbished by a celebrity designer who had used gold wallpaper. However, the Conservative Party was unable to furnish the record of the donation that paid for it and was fined £17,800. Johnson's ethics adviser, who had criticized him for not disclosing the messages exchanged with the donor, later said that Johnson hadn't intentionally lied about it.
