UK on thin ice as Rishi Sunak positions himself as next PM

LONDON: Another aide of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson quit on Friday, taking the total number of resignations at Downing Street to five as the embattled British premier was attempting to reset his government following the 'partygate' scandal that has put his position in jeopardy.

The resignations followed days after a damning investigation revealed that multiple parties took place at Downing Street while the rest of the United Kingdom was living under strict COVID-19 lockdown rules.

Cabinet ministers believe there is a '50/50' chance that Johnson will be ousted from 10 Downing Street. The threshold for triggering a vote is 54 letters and while the public number is currently eight, the real number is thought to be several times more than that because most MPs do not divulge their decision, adds Daily Mail.

Number 10 was in meltdown after the PM ordered a brutal clearout in a desperate attempt to shore up his troubled premiership as Chancellor Rishi Sunak primed himself for a potential leadership bid. Sunak has repeatedly refused to rule out a leadership bid if Johnson is ousted, saying it was 'very kind' of some Tory MPs to view him as the frontrunner.

Sunak had previously declined to criticise Johnson directly throughout the weeks of revelations about lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street, though he has acknowledged that mistakes were made.

Another Cabinet minister said it is 'difficult to tell' if the PM will survive.

Johnson's longstanding policy chief Munira Mirza, chief of staff Dan Rosenfield, principal private secretary Martin Reynolds, and communications director Jack Doyle all left their posts within hours of each other on Thursday.

Mirza's exit is the most consequential. She was one of Johnson's long-standing allies and a key political player who helped shape the prime minister's platform - some of which made her unpopular with other members of his ruling Conservative Party.

One senior Tory MP said the departure of Mirza smacked of “the last days of Rome,” suggesting the number of no confidence letters may now be approaching the threshold of 54 that would trigger a no-confidence vote, The Guardian newspaper reported.

If Johnson lost such a vote, which could be held within days, his premiership would be over.

Published on: Friday, February 04, 2022, 11:02 PM IST