Boris Johnson's Resignation: What Is The Full Context?

Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson has resigned as a member of Parliament.

The decision was revealed in a letter penned by Johnson on Friday.

Reasons for stepping down

Many have speculations about the reasons that made him resign.

In a statement, the former PM said he was was “bewildered and appalled” after receiving a letter from the from a House of Commons committee, which is investigating whether he lied to British lawmakers over lockdown-breaking parties during the pandemic, known as ‘Partygate.’

He left the job of Prime Minister in 2022, following a mass revolt by ministers over his leadership, sparked by scandals including Partygate.

Johnson accused the committee of mounting a "witch hunt" against him, determined to "drive me out of Parliament".

So he decided to jump before he was pushed.

Boris' statement 

In his resignation statement, Boris said; “I have been an MP since 2001. I take my responsibilities seriously.

"I did not lie, and I believe that in their hearts the Committee know it.

"But they have wilfully chosen to ignore the truth because from the outset their purpose has not been to discover the truth, or genuinely to understand what was in my mind when I spoke in the Commons.

“Their purpose from the beginning has been to find me guilty, regardless of the facts.

"This is the very definition of a kangaroo court.

“I am now being forced out of parliament by a tiny handful of people, with no evidence to back up their assertions, and without the approval even of Conservative party members let alone the wider electorate.

“I am very sorry to leave my wonderful constituency. It has been a huge honour to serve them, both as Mayor and MP.”

Criticising Sunak

Johnson also criticised Sunak’s government, saying that when he left office last year “the government was only a handful of points behind in the polls but that gap has now massively widened.”

“Just a few years after winning the biggest majority in almost half a century, that majority is now clearly at risk.

"Our party needs urgently to recapture its sense of momentum and its belief in what this country can do”, he added.

Timeline of Boris' career

Boris Johnson became the United Kingdom Prime Minister in 2019 following the resignation of his predecessor, Theresa May. He beat Jeremy Hunt to the top job by winning 66% of the votes.

He served until September 2022, and has been an MP since 2001 - although not continuously, having served as mayor of London between 2008 and 2016.