The question that bothered Boris Johnson in Parliament 0:54
London (CNN) --
The crisis facing UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson right now might be the most serious for his leadership yet, but it's definitely not the first.
ANALYSIS |
Even if Boris Johnson survives the vote of confidence, his position as prime minister is far from certain.
Johnson's government has been plagued by a series of scandals, from accusations of his flouting the rules and revelations of illegal lockdown-breaking parties held in Downing Street, to allegations of wrongdoing and abuse by Conservative lawmakers.
Here's a look at some of his government's most notable scandals.
The illegal extension of Parliament
Johnson's critics have often accused the prime minister of disrespecting government procedures and bending the rules when it suited him, as when he decided to ask the queen to prorogue, or close, Parliament for five weeks at the point height of a political crisis over Brexit.
The monarch approved the request in accordance with her duty to stay out of politics and act only on the advice of ministers.
advertising
But when the High Court found the extension illegal, it raised the awkward question of whether the queen had broken the law.
The ruling sparked accusations that the Johnson government deliberately misled the monarch as part of her strategy to secure Brexit.
Scottish judges rule suspension of UK Parliament illegal
Johnson was forced to apologize personally for embarrassing the queen, according to the Sunday Times.
But the failed extension was just one example of Johnson's disregard for parliamentary rules and regulations.
He backed Home Secretary Priti Patel after an investigation into allegations that she intimidated staff found that she breached the Ministerial Code and failed to "treat her public officials with consideration and respect" and engaged in "behavior that may be described as bullying.
Johnson's ethics adviser, Alex Allen, resigned over the issue.
Remodeling your apartment
One of the first scandals Johnson faced was an allegation of corruption after WhatsApp messages revealed he had asked a Conservative Party donor for funds to renovate his Downing Street residence.
British media reported that the work cost around £200,000 ($280,000).
Political donations and loans are strictly controlled in the UK, with loans of more than £7,500 ($10,400) recorded and publicly disclosed by the commission four times a year.
Johnson failed to report the donations and as a result the Electoral Commission fined the Conservative Party £17,800 in December last year.
Boris Johnson will face a formal investigation over the costs of remodeling his apartment
The Owen Paterson Lobbying Scandal
Last year, Johnson tried to force Conservative MPs to vote to overturn the suspension of another Conservative MP.
Owen Paterson, an influential Conservative MP and former cabinet minister, was facing a 30-day suspension after being accused of an "egregious" breach of lobbying rules.
After a backlash, Johnson changed management, and Paterson eventually resigned as MP.
The Liberal Democrats won the Paterson seat, one the Conservatives had held for nearly 200 years, in the subsequent by-elections in December.
The 'party gate'
Johnson has faced months of damaging revelations of Downing Street parties in defiance of the coronavirus lockdown, with leaks and images hitting the media since January.
What does the initial report on the Boris Johnson party scandal say?
3:29
A report published in May by official Sue Gray criticized a culture of rule-breaking events and revealed new photos of him at two separate meetings.
Between parties: A night of heavy drinking on the eve of Prince Philip's funeral, at a time when strict limits on socializing forced even the queen to sit alone to say goodbye to her husband of nearly 74 years.
Gray wrote that "senior leadership at the core" of the Johnson administration "must take responsibility" for a culture that allows parties to take place.
Johnson himself was fined by the London Metropolitan Police for attending a party on government premises, making him the first UK Prime Minister in history to break the law in office.
Sunak, who resigned on Tuesday, was also fined for attending the same event.
Johnson's handling of the scandal was particularly flawed, with Downing Street first denying there were meetings, then saying he didn't know about them, then claiming he attended because he believed they were work events.
Initial report on Boris Johnson's 'Partygate' scandal criticizes 'leadership failures'
Pincher misconduct allegations
This week's wave of resignations was sparked by revelations that Johnson appointed Chris Pincher to his government despite learning of earlier allegations of sexual misconduct.
Pincher, the deputy head of the Conservatives, resigned last week following allegations that he groped two guests at a private dinner.
Pincher did not directly admit the allegations, but told Johnson in a letter that "I drank too much last night" and "embarrassed myself and other people."
Downing Street had struggled to explain why Pincher was in government in the first place amid a flurry of revelations about his alleged past conduct, denying that Johnson knew anything specific about the allegations.
ANALYSIS |
The future of Boris Johnson is in danger as the Conservative Party suffers a double electoral defeat
On Tuesday, it emerged that a complaint against Pincher had been filed with the Foreign Office some three years ago and that Johnson had been informed of what had happened.
Downing Street then said that she had forgotten.
Johnson acknowledged that "it was a mistake" to appoint Pincher to his government on Tuesday, but the damage had already been done.
The wave of resignations from the government began minutes after he apologized for the decision, with Foreign Minister Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid delivering their notices.
Over the next 24 hours, dozens followed.
-- CNN's Rob Picheta and Luke McGee contributed reporting.
Boris JohnsonScandals