Rampage
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July 7, 2022, 3:26 AM -05 / Updated July 7, 2022, 9:13 AM -05 / By Alexander Smith, Rhoda Kwan and Mahalia Dobson
LONDON — Scandal-ridden British Prime Minister Boris Johnson capitulated to mounting pressure to step down Thursday, announcing his decision after days of high-profile government resignations and calls from fellow Conservative Party members to quit.
British prime ministers are not directly elected by voters and instead are chosen to lead their party. As such, Johnson needs the support of fellow Conservative Party members to stay in power.
He survived a vote of confidence by his party last month in which a bruising 41% of its lawmakers voted to oust him. That followed the scandal dubbed “partygate,” which saw Johnson fined by police and slammed by an investigator’s report over lockdown-breaching parties he and his aides held during the Covid pandemic.
Who will replace Johnson?
LONDON — Scandal-ridden British Prime Minister Boris Johnson capitulated to mounting pressure to step down Thursday, announcing his decision after days of high-profile government resignations and calls from fellow Conservative Party members to quit.
British prime ministers are not directly elected by voters and instead are chosen to lead their party. As such, Johnson needs the support of fellow Conservative Party members to stay in power.
He survived a vote of confidence by his party last month in which a bruising 41% of its lawmakers voted to oust him. That followed the scandal dubbed “partygate,” which saw Johnson fined by police and slammed by an investigator’s report over lockdown-breaching parties he and his aides held during the Covid pandemic.
U.K. PM Boris Johnson steps down after wave of scandals
In a remarkable twist, Johnson was abandoned by the finance and education ministers he had promoted just 36 hours earlier in a bid to cling to power.
www.nbcnews.com
Who will replace Johnson?