The pressure has grown in the last hours, and Boris Johnson has ended up not bearing it. The British Prime Minister will leave government on Tuesday, as well as the leadership of the Conservative Party.
Johnson had been severely criticized by the press, the opposition and his own party for the parties organized at the seat of the British government, while the government itself banned such gatherings in the rest of the country. The fall of the Tories in the polls has been definitive.
The criticism was not only that he was doing what the government forbade the rest, but that he had been lying for weeks. He said these parties had never taken place. As evidence accumulated in the press that they had taken place, Johnson eventually acknowledged that they had, and that he had participated in them.
A new leader
The conservative leader eventually acknowledged the facts, and apologized for it. But he did not succeed in cutting the controversy. In the last few days two cabinet ministers had resigned, and several of those who were still in Downing Street threatened to do so. Another 48 members of the government, at different levels, have also refused to continue under Johnson's leadership.
A period of uncertainty is now open, which will not be cleared until the Conservative Party elects a new leader.
A spoiled legacy
Boris Johnson came to power in 2019 with the Conservative Party's largest majority in 30 years. It has been a tumultuous few years for the country and for him. Johnson has led the government at the onset of brexit, during the pandemic, and in the face of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
On a personal level, Johnson has had time to get married and have two children. He also had to be hospitalized after being infected with covid-19.
