Britons want Boris Johnson to resign amid ministers' revolt: Poll

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
6 Jul 2022 17:04
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Almost 70 percent of the British public, who were polled on Tuesday night, believe that Johnson should leave his position as prime minister, while only 18 percent want him to stay in power.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Archive)

A record 69 percent of British citizens believe that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson should step down in the wake of the scandal surrounding the selection of Christopher Pincher as deputy chief whip despite being aware of prior allegations of sexual misconduct against him as per a YouGov poll.

In response to the controversy, more than a dozen members of the UK government have tendered their resignations, including Chancellor Rishi Sunak, the Solicitor General for England and Wales Alex Chalk, not to mention Health Secretary Sajid Javid.

Almost 70 percent of the British public, polled on Tuesday evening, believe that Johnson should leave his position as prime minister, while only 18 percent want him to stay in power. According to the poll, his resignation was supported by 54% of those who voted for him in the most recent election.

Only 21% of voters, on the other hand, think Johnson will step down voluntarily, while 68% believe he will stay in his position.

Nevertheless, the poll revealed that 56% of Britons, including 47% of Johnson's 2019 supporters, support Sunak's choice to resign.

Politico reported last Friday that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had been aware of all sexual harassment charges against Conservative MP Christopher Pincher at the time he was appointed as Deputy Chief of the Conservative Party.

UK broadcaster Sky News reported earlier in the day that the 52-year-old lawmaker "groped two men in front of others" in a drunken state at a club in central London on Thursday evening. The Tory MP later apologized for his behavior and said that he was resigning from his position.

This is all happening amid Tory losses in by-elections, and a decline in public support for the British Conservative Party, which had been rocked by successive scandals, most notably the PM's own Partygate scandals.