London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2025

Boris Johnson’s resignation: what is going on in UK politics?

Explainer: a summary of the fast-moving events and what could happen next

Boris Johnson, the UK prime minister, announced on Thursday that he would be stepping down as leader of the ruling Conservatives in the face of a torrent of resignations by ministers and mounting pressure from within the party.

For now he is still prime minister, but his resignation triggers a contest to replace him as head of his party. The winner will become both party leader and prime minister, without the need for a national election.

Johnson had faced growing calls to go, after claims that he lied about the circumstances in which he gave a key role to an ally who was forced to quit last month over accusations that he had groped men.

Johnson’s premiership has been embroiled in months of turmoil – last month he survived a vote of confidence among Conservative MPs – but the prime minister’s undoing was ultimately prompted by the scandal surrounding one of their number.


What has caused the crisis to erupt?


Chris Pincher was appointed by Johnson as deputy chief whip, a senior role involved in maintaining discipline among fellow Conservative MPs. He resigned last weekend after being accused by two men of drunkenly groping them at a private members’ club in London. Johnson had promoted Pincher in February to the position, which comes with pastoral care responsibilities for colleagues.

The prime minister declined to suspend Pincher from the party. Pressure began to build after four more allegations were reported in the Sunday papers, including accusations that he had groped two Conservative MPs. Pincher has denied the allegations.

Johnson apologised earlier this week after it emerged that he had been briefed that Pincher was the subject of previous sexual misconduct complaints before he appointed him. The prime minister said he had forgotten.


What was the political background to Johnson’s downfall?


MPs, angered by the latest instance of Johnson’s erratic relationship with the truth, have been eager to oust a leader many now regard as an electoral liability. Earlier this year Johnson was forced to apologise after being fined over illegal parties held at his official residence, 10 Downing Street, at a time when Covid-19 restrictions were in place.

Johnson led the Conservatives to a landslide general election win in 2019 over the opposition Labour party on a platform of finally realising Britain’s departure from the European Union. However, he has been blamed for a haemorrhaging of support among voters, and the party lost seats in recent byelections – including in some Conservative heartlands – brought about by resignations of MPs.

The government is facing political challenges, including rising inflation, a relatively resurgent Labour party under new leadership, and a renewed attempt by the Scottish National party (SNP) to push for a referendum on independence for Scotland.

Johnson is the third Conservative leader to have been forced out of office by his own party in the past seven years. David Cameron resigned after calling and then losing the referendum on the question of the UK’s membership of the EU, while Theresa May stepped aside after three years of trying and failing to pull Britain out of the EU after the Brexit vote.

The coming vacancy at the top of the Conservative party presents both an opportunity for the opposition Labour party – which has sought to rally under a new leader, Keir Starmer – as well as a risk, if a new hand at the tiller of the governing party is able to tempt back natural Conservative voters and weather economic headwinds.


What has been the role of members of Johnson’s own government?


The potentially fatal blows were delivered on Tuesday when the finance and health ministers resigned as Johnson attempted to limit the damage from the Pincher scandal.

Other resignations followed, turning into a flood that left question marks over whether Johnson would be able to find replacements of sufficient calibre, while a Rubicon was crossed when other ministers still in post called for him to go.

Those pressing for his departure included MPs who had previously been among Johnson’s most loyal supporters, and the new finance minister appointed only the day before.


What happens next?


For now at least, Johnson is still the British prime minister. In his announcement on Thursday, he blamed a “herd instinct” for his departure and said he would stay on until a new leader of the party was in place.

A contest to select a new leader – who will become prime minister – could be concluded as soon as two weeks from now. But some Conservative MPs say Johnson should be replaced immediately rather than be allowed to remain as a caretaker leader until a successor is found. One scenario could see Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, step into the role of caretaker.

Robert Buckland, the new secretary of state for Wales, has reportedly suggested that a freshly formed cabinet will block Johnson if he tries to make major policy moves in the coming weeks.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
×