Britain reckons with Johnson’s damaging legacy

From the moment Boris Johnson lost the support of more than 40 per cent of his own MPs in a vote of no-confidence in the British parliament just over a month ago, the clock was ticking on his time as prime minister. It became a matter of when, not if, he would succumb to the inevitable.

In the end, it was a fresh scandal that led Johnson to finally stand at the lectern outside 10 Downing Street, his home and office for the past three years, and tell the British public that he regretfully accepted it was time for the Conservative Party to select a new leader. It was an ignominious ending.

Boris Johnson Credit:AP

No political leader likes to fall on their sword, but Johnson fought harder than most to brazen his way through another round of accusations that he had skirted the truth. For a man whose political playbook relied on saying and doing whatever it took to stay in power, no matter the tenuous connection it may have had with the facts, the realisation that even he could not bluster his way out of this latest predicament must have been a shocking reality check.

The final unravelling of his prime ministership began when little-known British MP Chris Pincher, a strong ally of Johnson, was accused of groping two men at an exclusive club during a night of drinking on June 29. Pincher was promoted by Johnson in 2019 to a junior ministerial role in the Foreign Office, and then to deputy chief whip in February. The media soon revealed Pincher had a string of past accusations against him over unwanted advances.

Under fire for promoting Pincher, Johnson did what has become almost natural to him – he lied, telling the public that he had been unaware of any previous allegations against his deputy whip before appointing him to the role. After several days of pressure, Johnson had to walk back that statement, finally admitting that he had known of Pincher’s past.

Johnson’s circuitous route to the truth was no worse than previous times he had played fast and loose with the facts. The “partygate” saga, in which Johnson denied, then admitted to holding boozy parties at his residence and government offices during coronavirus lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, outraged the nation and led to the no-confidence vote in which Johnson barely survived.

And there was the time Johnson was caught refurbishing his apartment at 10 Downing Street with, in part, money donated by a Conservative Party donor. After an investigation, the party was fined £17,800 pounds ($31,350) for failing to report the donation correctly.

So when “Pinchergate” came to light via the British tabloid The Sun, it was not the isolated incident that triggered the stampede of MP resignations, but Johnson’s trail of transgressions that had accumulated during his time in office.

The timing could not be worse. Britain is facing difficulties that even a stable and competent national government would find challenging. Its economy is being battered by inflation that has hit a 40-year high of 9.1 per cent, and is expected to reach double digits in coming months. COVID-19 infections are rising sharply, fuelled by the new highly contagious Omicron subvariants. And, of course, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia has triggered a range of security, economic and diplomatic headaches that need attention.

Britain now finds its national governance in limbo until the Conservative Party elects a new leader. Adding to that uncertainty is the lack of a standout candidate. Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor of the exchequer, was once considered a strong contender, but was politically wounded when he became entangled in the partygate scandal and has been under pressure about the tax status of his wealthy wife.

There are several other candidates, including Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, who is seen as a rising political star, and Jeremy Hunt, the former health secretary whom Johnson defeated in the last party leadership contest. But with no clear front runner, there are few willing to predict a likely winner at this stage.

They will have big shoes to fill. Johnson’s trademark dishevelled hair and suits and his endless antics and wit have bemused the public for decades. But his leading advocacy for Britain’s exit from the European Union showed that he could also change the course of history. Johnson used that success to catapult himself into the prime ministership and then a landslide election victory just three years ago.

It has been a dramatic fall from grace. But in his own words: “Them’s the breaks.”

Gay Alcorn sends a newsletter to subscribers each week. Sign up to receive her Note from the Editor.

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