British Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends a press conference in London, Britain, May 25, 2022.(Xinhua/IANS)
In his resignation statement issued on Friday, Johnson described the committee as a “kangaroo court” whose purpose “from the beginning has been to find me guilty, regardless of the facts”, reports Asian Lite News
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has stepped down as a Tory MP after claiming that he was “forced out of Parliament” over Partygate.
The former Prime Minister saw in advance a report by the Commons Privileges Committee investigating if he misled the Commons over Downing Street lockdown parties, the BBC reported.
Johnson said that he was “bewildered and appalled” after receiving a letter from the from a House of Commons committee, CNN reported.
His resignation now triggers a by-election in his marginal seat.
The Privileges Committee said that Johnson had called into question the integrity of the House of Commons, the British news broadcaster reported.
Boris Johnson has served our country and his constituency with distinction. He led world in supporting Ukraine, got Brexit done, and was our most electorally successful Prime Minister since Margaret Thatcher. Boris is a political titan whose legacy will stand the test of time. pic.twitter.com/88OQcy8K0t
The MP-led committee – which has a majority of Conservative MPs – said it would conclude its inquiry on Monday and “publish its report promptly”.
In his resignation statement issued on Friday, Johnson described the committee as a “kangaroo court” whose purpose “from the beginning has been to find me guilty, regardless of the facts”.
Johnson previously admitted misleading Parliament when he gave evidence to the committee in a combative hearing in March – but denied doing it on purpose.
He said that social distancing had not been “perfect” at gatherings in Downing Street during Covid lockdowns but insisted the guidelines, as he understood them, were followed at all times.
The letter informs the secretary that her false narrative has hurt the sentiments of millions of ethnic minorities and she must apologise to Pakistanis and withdraw her comments…reports Asian Lite News
A group of Pakistani doctors associated with the Conservative Party has claimed that it has lost over 200 members after UK Home Secretary and Member of Parliament Suella Braverman made bigoted and racist comment about Pakistani men linking them with sex grooming gangs.
Braverman’s comments that British Pakistani men “hold cultural values at odds with British values” and that they are linked with the grooming scandal have drawn wide criticism and senior Conservative leaders have accused her of peddling racist and Islamophobic lies to gain the support of right-wing sections.
In a letter to the home secretary, Dr Ashraf Chohan, Chairman and Founder of Conservative Friends of National Health Service (NHS), has told the home secretary that his organisation has lost over 200 members who are all doctors.
Dr Chohan has told the secretary that he fears more doctors will leave the group as they no longer associate themselves with a party whose secretary holds such racist views. Conservative Friends of NHS has been raising funds and gathering support for the Tory party for several years.
Dr Chohan wrote: “Since a statement from you as home secretary I have lost 200 members who are all doctors, Therefore, only Sadiq Khan would be delighted on the statement you gave last week about British Pakistanis and can a clarification be issued that you only meant offenders and criminals but not each Pakistani man please, as we, Conservatives can’t afford losing any more votes.”
The letter to the secretary presents a fact sheet to Braverman on the contribution of Britons of Pakistani heritage. It says over 1.2 million in Britain are of Pakistani heritage with a large number of them working in the NHS; there are 10 Labour and five Conservative MPs, the London mayor and the first minister of Scotland are of Pakistani descent; boxers and cricketers of Pakistani heritage are far higher than any other ethnic community.
It further added that the majority of British Pakistanis are considered to be working or middle class; 50% are employed; 25% self-employed; 20% of Pakistanis are in managerial or professional occupations; 20% in intermediate occupations; 25% are in routine or manual occupations; and 45% of British Pakistanis living in both inner and outer London are middle class.
The letter informs the secretary that her false narrative has hurt the sentiments of millions of ethnic minorities and she must apologise to Pakistanis and withdraw her comments.
Faith leaders, community groups, professional forums, and activists have come together to issue an unprecedented condemnation of Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s “racist, Islamophobic, irresponsible and divisive” rhetoric linking child sexual exploitation with Pakistanis.
The home secretary’s “racist and inflammatory comments” from a series of interviews labelled as “inflammatory and divisive rhetoric that is sensationalist and contradicts her own department’s evidence”.
Pakistani organisations have been joined by British Nigerian, British Indian, British Bengali, and others in mounting condemnation of the Home Secretary, arguing that the secretary’s rhetoric overlooks the impact “cuts in public sector and community services under the current government have had on young people increasing their vulnerability”.
British Pakistan Foundation (BPF) has called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to distance himself from Braverman’s extremist rhetoric and issue an apology to British Pakistanis.
The Muslim Women’s Network and others who have evidenced and worked with Asian victims of grooming have commented: “The Home Secretary’s approach of demonising an entire community and lending credibility to far-right narratives undermine the need to ensure all victims of CSE are protected and all perpetrators are brought to justice.”
Sunak has reversed those plans and instead raised taxes, reassuring financial markets, but upsetting some Conservative lawmakers…reports Asian Lite News
British Conservative politicians on Sunday launched two campaigns to address concerns about the direction of the party and the government, the latest challenge to new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s attempts to unite a fractured party.
The Conservative Party has already ousted two prime ministers in 2022 – Boris Johnson and Liz Truss – and trails the opposition Labour party in the polls by double digits, with another national election expected in 2024.
Sunak became Prime Minister in October when Truss resigned after less than two months. Her chaotic tenure was fatally damaged when her fiscal plan for unfunded tax cuts lost the confidence of markets.
Sunak has reversed those plans and instead raised taxes, reassuring financial markets, but upsetting some Conservative lawmakers.
“In the recent budget, the government decided to tax the British public at levels not seen since the end of the Second World War,” a group of 40 Conservative lawmakers wrote to finance minister Jeremy Hunt on Sunday.
“We need to be able to reassure our constituents, who are worried about the cost of living crisis, that every penny of taxpayers’ money spent on their behalf provides value for money and is not wasted.”
The group, which calls itself Conservative Way Forward, said it would publish a report on Monday outlining 7 billion pounds ($8.58 billion) of “waste” that could be shed, allowing the government to cut taxes or spend more on frontline services.
Sunak’s first six weeks as prime minister have been calmer than his predecessor’s, but restive backbench lawmakers have already forced policy concessions on housebuilding targets and onshore wind farms.
He is also having to deal with the impact of surging energy bills, a cost-of-living crisis, and industrial action set to disrupt hospitals and transport in the run-up to Christmas.
A separate group – Conservative Democratic Organisation – was also launched on Sunday aiming to “take back control” of the party on behalf of the party’s membership, after Johnson and Truss were ousted – and Sunak selected – by the parliamentary party. Johnson and Truss were both chosen via a vote by the Conservative Party’s membership of around 170,000.
The group, supported by former interior minister Priti Patel, said that the selection of Sunak by lawmakers, just weeks after members voted for Truss, “had finally ended members faith in any party democracy existing within the Conservative Party.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visits Croydon University Hospital where he met staff and patients. South London. Picture by Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street
In a poll conducted on the UK’s new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s first two days in office, 39 per cent of respondents picked the Indian-origin leader over Keir Starmer, chief of the opposition Labour Party.
The poll, conducted by Redfield and Wilton, asked 1,500 people who they thought would be a better Prime Minister.
Some 39 per cent of respondents picked Sunak, up 6 per cent from the start of September, and 38 per cent said they would prefer Starmer, down 4 per cent, the Daily Express reported.
Another weekly tracker poll by Techne UK showed Labour’s lead over the Conservatives was down from 31 to 24 points.
Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks after Rishi Sunak’s Budget speech. (UK Parliament_Jessica Taylor)
The poll of 1,624 voters showed support for Labour at 50 per cent, a drop of three points from last week.
The Conservatives, meanwhile, were up four points with their new Prime Minister at the helm from 22 per cent a week ago to 26 per cent on October 27, the Daily Express reported.
Sunak faced Starmer in his first Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons on October 26 — a day after being appointed as Britain’s first Asian and first Hindu Prime Minister.
Despite the popularity polls, calls for a general election have escalated with more than 891,000 people signing a petition to Parliament
According to a modelling sample of 12,000 people by YouGov last week, Sunak would suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of Starmer if a general election were to take place immediately.
It said Starmer would win 389 constituencies, and Sunak just 127.
The next general election in the UK is scheduled for May 2024, under the Fixed Term Parliament Act 2011, which holds that an poll must be held at least once every five years.
According to experts, the Conservatives are likely to resist early election calls unless absolutely necessary because any new election is expected to flip around the sizable 71-seat majority in the House of Commons, which the party enjoys at the moment.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds his first Cabinet meeting in 10 Downing Street the morning after assuming office
After being elected as the Conservative leader, Sunak told supporters that the party must “unite or die” after the recent wave of controversy and infighting.
In a speech at Conservative Party headquarters, he said: “We now need stability and unity and I will make it my utmost priority to bring our party and our country together.”
Boris Johnson was forced to step down on July 7 following a series of resignations of cabinet members, who protested against his scandal-plagued leadership
Merely three months after he was ousted from power, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson landed in Britain on Saturday from a Caribbean holiday to launch a formal bid for the Conservative Party leadership, following Liz Truss’s resignation this week, according to UK media reports.
Johnson was forced to step down on July 7 following a series of resignations of cabinet members, who protested against his scandal-plagued leadership. Johnson now expressed his willingness to enter the PM race, saying he is “up for it.”
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak in the Johnson cabinet was also quick to mark his bid for the Tory and the British Prime Ministership having secured more than a hundred nominations – which is the minimum requirement to contest for the post.
Sunak late Friday became the first Tory leadership contender to reach the 100-nomination threshold to run for party leader following the resignation of Prime Minister Liz Truss, reported Independent citing campaign sources.
Sunak, who fell to Truss in the last leadership contest, got the backing of at least 100 Conservative Party lawmakers to enter the UK PM race.
This is a key development after Liz Truss’ resignation as UK Prime Minister on Thursday which threw the country into political turmoil and left it scrambling for a stable government, as the opposition reiterated its demand for a general election.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak as they make their way up the staircase of No10 Downing Street to give a press conference on the Coronavirus. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
On Friday, Penny Mordaunt, the Tory leader in the House of Commons too threw her hat in the ring. “I’ve been encouraged by support from colleagues who want a fresh start, a united party and leadership in the national interest,” Mordaunt tweeted.
Tory MPs will vote on Monday, and two candidates will be put forward to the Tory membership unless one pulls out. The result will be announced on Friday, October 28.
It is pertinent to note that Truss became the shortest-serving British PM after she stepped down, stating that she recognises she “cannot deliver the mandate” on which she was elected. Truss said she would step aside for a new leader to be chosen within the next week.
In view of Truss’s resignation, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer issued a scathing statement that ripped into the Conservative Party and called for a general election.
After 12 years of “Tory failure,” he said the British people deserve so much better than this revolving door of chaos. “We need a general election now,” he said.
Truss stepping down was preceded by the sacking of UK Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng and the resignation of Home Secretary Suella Braverman tendered her resignation. Liz only remained in power for 45 days after succeeding Boris Johnson last month. (ANI)
Chancellor of Exchequer Rishi Sunak Spring Statement. Chancellor of Exchequer Rishi Sunak on his way to the Cabinet room for the Prime Minister’s weekly Cabinet meeting before delivering his Spring Statement in the House of Commons . Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
Rishi Sunak’s warnings about Truss’s economic plans have been largely borne out, which gives him credibility with markets.
With UK’s beleaguered Prime Minister Liz Truss resigning, Conservative MP and Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker has said that former British Chancellor of Indian-origin Rishi Sunak will make a good Prime Minister.
“I feel the country needs a change of direction… Rishi would be a good Prime Minister… We have a number of people in the party who could be good Prime ministers,” Baker told ITV’s Peston.
With just 45 days in office, Truss resigned on Thursday, saying she would remain as Prime Minister until a successor had been chosen, which she said would happen within a week.
Speaking outside 10 Downing Street office, Truss accepted that she could not deliver the promises she made when she was running for Conservative leader, having lost the faith of her party.
“I recognise though, given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party. I have therefore spoken to His Majesty the King to notify him that I am resigning as leader of the Conservative Party,” she said.
Prime Minister Liz Truss coming out from No 10 to address the media to announce her resignation as the leader of Conservative Party and Prime Minister of UK. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
Barely two months after losing to Liz Truss in the race for UK Prime Minister, Sunak has once again been emerging as the favourite to replace her with 100 Tory MPs considering a no-confidence motion against her.
A YouGov poll of Tory members found that 55 per cent would now vote for 42-year-old Sunak if they were able to vote again, while just 25 per cent would vote for Truss.
According to a Bloomberg report, Conservative MPs are utterly divided over who should take over.
“Rebellious Conservative MPs are destroying the capacity for the party to govern,” Baker told ITV Peston and instead, asked the MPs to do it privately.
Sunak’s warnings about Truss’s economic plans have been largely borne out, which gives him credibility with markets.
“Yet he has large numbers of enemies in the Tory party. There are about 100 MPs on the ideological right of the party — including ardent Brexiteers and supporters of Johnson — who are determined to prevent a Sunak premiership,” the Bloomberg reported.
An MP had said earlier that they are backing “ABSOM” — Anyone But Sunak Or Mordaunt.
Sunak is also blamed for triggering former PM Boris Johnson’s downfall. One minister warned that opting for Sunak would lead to even more Tory infighting, Bloomberg reported.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt is also seen as a PM contender. But he told Sky News he had ruled out ever becoming prime minister for family reasons.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at Brize Norton after returning from the Ukraine. Picture by Freddie Mitchell / No 10 Downing Street
Ministers Helen Whately, Damian Hinds, George Freeman, Guy Opperman, Chris Philp, and James Cartlidge have also stepped down…reports Asian Lite News
Following a series of mass resignations by Cabinet members, Boris Johnson will resign as leader of the UK’s Conservative Party on Thursday, but will continue as Prime Minister until later this year.
Regarding the resignation, “the Prime Minister will make a statement to the country today”, the BBC quoted a Downing Street spokesperson as saying.
He had vowed to “keep going” following a wave of resignations from the government over his leadership but has now decided to step down.
A Conservative leadership race will take place soon and a new Prime Minister will be in place in time for the Conservative Party conference in October.
Earlier on Thursday, Caroline Johnson resigned as vice chair of the Conservative Party, as well as Nadhim Zahawi and Michelle Donelan, who were only appointed as the Chancellor and Education Secretary respectively on Tuesday, have also quit.
In his resignation letter, Zahawi, who was given the job less than 48 hours ago, said he had “made clear to the Prime Minister” that he should “leave with dignity”, the BBC reported.
In her resignation letter, Donelan said that “I see no way that you (Johnson) continue in post, but without a formal mechanism to remove you it seems that the only way this is only possible, is for those of us who remain in cabinet to force your hand”.
Ministers Helen Whately, Damian Hinds, George Freeman, Guy Opperman, Chris Philp, and James Cartlidge have also stepped down.
Two of the biggest resignations on Tuesday were that of Indian-origin Rishi Sunak from the post of Chancellor and Pakistani-origin Sajid Javid as the Secretary of State for Health.
Sunak did not directly accuse the Prime Minister of impropriety in his letter of resignation but instead highlighted ideological and policy differences, which sounded like him advocating fiscal prudence versus Johnson wanting to borrow and spend.
Javid said he can no longer serve in Johnson’s government in “good conscience” as he has “lost confidence” in the Prime Minister.
The new rules, which included ordering people to wear masks in public places and use COVID-19 passes for some venues, passed thanks largely to the main opposition Labour Party…reports Asian Lite News.
Almost 100 Conservative lawmakers voted on Tuesday against new coronavirus restrictions, dealing a major blow to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s authority and raising questions about his leadership.
After a day of frenzied failed lobbying, Johnson was handed the biggest rebellion against his government so far by his party over measures he said were necessary to curb the spread of the new Omicron variant.
The new rules, which included ordering people to wear masks in public places and use COVID-19 passes for some venues, passed thanks largely to the main opposition Labour Party.
But the revolt piles pressure on Johnson, already under fire over scandals such as reported parties in his Downing Street office last year – when Britain was in a COVID-19 lockdown – and a pricey refurbishment of his apartment.
Rebelling lawmakers said the vote was a warning shot that he needed to change how the government was operating, or he would face a leadership challenge.
Some 99 Conservatives opposed plans for the COVID passes, a much higher number of rebels than was expected. Originally the official figure was put at 98, but the number was later revised upward.
Among those voting against the government was lawmaker Louie French who was only elected as a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) at the start of the month, while media reported that former Prime Minister Theresa May was among 17 others who abstained.
Many Conservatives say some of the new measures are draconian, with several questioning the introduction of a certificate of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 test to enter some venues, such as nightclubs.
Others used the votes as an opportunity to vent their anger at Johnson, believing the man who helped the Conservatives win a large majority at a 2019 election is squandering the party’s successes by self-inflicted missteps and gaffes.
But despite the rumblings of discontent, Conservative Party insiders say there is not enough of a groundswell against Johnson to dislodge him now, although they hope the vote will be a “wake-up call” for the prime minister to reset his agenda.
“He’s got to now be in some danger,” Conservative lawmaker Geoffrey Clifton-Brown told Sky News. “And he’s got to realise that because if he doesn’t realise that, then he will be in much bigger danger … I’m still backing him. But he’s got to change.”
Britain reported 59,610 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, the highest figure since early January and the fifth highest recorded since the outbreak of the pandemic in March last year.
More than 5,300 cases of Omicron have been recorded, with 10 people hospitalised. One person has died after contracting the variant, which is set to become the dominant strain in the capital London.
Before the vote, the government had mounted a campaign to keep lawmakers in check, with Johnson warning his ministers there was a “huge spike” in Omicron cases heading Britain’s way, and that the measures were needed to protect people.
Ministers tried to win over the Conservative rebels, noting that people who have not had two vaccinations can instead offer proof of a negative lateral flow test to gain access to indoor venues of more than 500 people.
Health minister Sajid Javid told lawmakers he firmly believed in “individual liberty” but that “the responsible decision to take is…to move to plan B in England”.
But their arguments fell on deaf ears. In addition to the 99 Conservatives who voted against the passes, 40 voted against expanding the requirement for mask wearing.
Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer, for whom this election was a major test after assuming the top party position, said he was taking “full responsibility” for the defeat, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
With more English election results are set to be announced today, the ruling Conservative Party has already made significant gains, with Labour losing control of several local authorities, according to reports.
Prime Minister ad Conservative Leader Boris Johnson called the results so far “encouraging”, while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer promised to lead a fightback and set out a “bold vision”, the BBC reported.
On Thursday, people in England voted in elections for 143 councils, 13 mayors and 35 police and crime commissioners. The results are set to continue coming in over the weekend, with pandemic restrictions causing delays and counting centres working according to different timetables.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives have already snatched a historically left-wing seat from the opposition Labour in a tense by-election in England.
Conservative party candidate Jill Mortimer won the north-east England seat of Hartlepool with a large majority, beating opposition Labour party candidate Paul Williams, reports dpa news agency.
She described it as a “truly historic” result. It is the first time since its creation in 1974 that the seat has been won by a Conservative politician. Previously it had only been held by Labour, at one point, a candidate who ran as an independent.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said he was “bitterly disappointed” with the result, adding: “I take full responsibility for the results. And I will take full responsibility for fixing things.”
Conservatives also picked up control of several councils, including Maidstone, Cornwall, Nottinghamshire and Basildon, while Labour lost some, including Sheffield and Plymouth, to no overall control.
Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks at the House of Commons. (UK Parliament_Jessica Taylor)
They have managed to keep the Tees Valley mayoralty – in an area once considered a Labour stronghold – with Ben Houchen increasing his share of the vote to 73%, according to BBC report.
The party also gained new police and crime commissioners, for Cleveland, Avon and Somerset and Dorset.
The result is a boost for Prime Minister Boris Johnson despite a rocky few months for the premier, with the country’s successful vaccine campaign appearing to be a key factor.
It is equally a blow for Labour party leader Keir Starmer, who has only been chief for a year.
The win will make no difference to Johnson’s influence in the British parliament, however, as his party already holds a majority.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Photo: No 10, Downing Street)
On Friday, the prime minister had travelled to Hartlepool to celebrate his party’s win, hailing the backing of “the fantastic people of the north-east” and saying it gave his government a renewed mandate, the Guardian reported.
The by-election was held on Thursday, the same day as local and mayoral elections across England, and votes for the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments.
The London mayoral result will be announced today, although if it is close it could take longer, it was reported.
SNP majority on knife edge
Though the Scottish National Party has won three key seats but the hopes of securing an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament election remain on a knife edge, the BBC reported.
Scotland First Minister and and Leader of the Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon
The party has taken both Edinburgh Central – where former MP Angus Robertson was standing for the SNP – and Ayr from the Conservatives, according to the report.
The party also won the East Lothian seat from Labour.
No other constituencies have changed hands so far, with the SNP currently on 39 seats, the Liberal Democrats four, Tories two and Labour one.
Labour retains Wales
There is nothing much to worry for Labour in Wales as the party is set to stay in power after matching its best-ever Senedd election result, with exactly half of the 60 seats in the Welsh Parliament, the BBC reported.
However, the Conservatives took the Vale of Clwyd from Labour, and Brecon and Radnorshire from the Liberal Democrats. And Labour took Rhondda back from Plaid Cymru.
So far 52 of the 60 seats are declared, and Labour has won 30; Conservatives 12, Plaid Cymru 9 and the Liberal Democrats one, it was reported.
