Boris Johnson resigns as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom pressured by a wave of resignations in his Government

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation on Thursday, harassed by a wave of scandals during his government that precipitated the resignation of part of his Executive in recent days.

"It is clear that now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party is that there is a new leader," Johnson said during a press conference held in front of Downing Street, the official residence of the British

minister.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves his office at 10 Downing Street on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, in London. Frank Augstein / AP

"The process of electing that new leader must start now," he said.

"I want to tell you that I'm sorry to leave the best job in the world, but that's the way it is," he lamented.

Johnson's resignation comes after the mismanagement of several scandals in his party, in which he himself has been involved.

One of them was the

,

the parties held in Downing Street (the official residence of the prime minister) during the pandemic, ignoring health regulations to avoid contagion.

Johnson, 58, spoke with the leader of the group of conservative deputies without portfolio, Graham Brady, president of the so-called 1922 Committee, to inform him that he agreed to resign, and remain in charge of a provisional government until the conservatives choose their new leader. .

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The event activated the mechanism of the internal censure motion, which he survived, but came out very affected, with 41% of conservative legislators in favor of his dismissal.

The straw that broke the camel's back and has unleashed a cascade of resignations has been the attitude of the British

minister in the face of allegations of sexual harassment against a political ally, the conservative deputy Chris Pincher.

Just minutes after the news broke, the new education minister, Michelle Donelan, had resigned after just 36 hours in office, and the new finance minister, Nadhim Zahawi, had asked her to “go now”.

More than 50 members of the Government have resigned in recent days after the departure of the heads of Economy, Rishi Sunak, and Health, Sajid Javid, on Tuesday.

The appointment of his successor at the head of the

(Conservative) party, and therefore of the British Executive, should be known before the Conservatives hold their annual congress, scheduled for October, according to a Downing Street source quoted by the EFE agency.

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Johnson came to office in July 2019 as leader of the Conservative Party after the resignation of fellow Conservative Theresa May.

Just 16 days shy of three years as prime minister, Johnson's would be one of the shortest stays at Downing Street since 1900.