Voices calling for Boris Johnson's immediate departure are increasing, not only among the opposition Labor Party, but also within his own party. The British Prime Minister only wants to step down once his successor has been chosen. But that could take months.
After British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation, calls for his speedy replacement have been raised. Johnson's replacement should take weeks, not months, Conservative MP and Johnson critic Caroline Nokes told the BBC. "He lost the Conservative Party's trust due to a lack of personal integrity," said the Chair of the Committee on Women and Equality.
Johnson received a "strong message" from his group. "His past behavior will no longer be tolerated." According to Nokes, the process of changing power differs significantly from previous transitions from one conservative prime minister to another. Because it was always about substantive political issues.
Former British Prime Minister John Major had previously called for his immediate resignation. Johnson should not remain in office until a successor has been found, "for the general good of the country," Major explains in an open letter. "The suggestion that the prime minister stay in office for up to three months after losing the support of his cabinet, government and parliamentary group is unwise and potentially untenable," writes Major, who was prime minister from 1990 to 1997 and is from Johnsons conservative party.
The deputy leader of the opposition Labor Party, Angela Rayner, also called for Johnson's immediate replacement. "He's a proven liar who's sinking in the felt, we can't afford another few months of this," Rayner said, adding, "They have to get rid of him and if not then we're going to have a no-confidence vote in Parliament." It is clear that Johnson has lost the public's trust.
Johnson announced his resignation as leader of the British Conservative Party on Thursday, but wants to remain prime minister until a successor is elected. The timetable and the exact framework conditions for the election of a new Tory boss are to be determined by the responsible party body, the so-called 1922 Committee, at the beginning of next week.
It is unlikely that Johnson could be ousted from office by a vote of no confidence in Parliament. For that, his own faction would have to vote against him. The result would be an immediate new election. The mechanism differs from the vote of no confidence within the group, which Johnson recently just survived.
