June 10, 2023 – 5:16 PM
After former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, two more British Conservative MPs resigned – writes the Guardian. This means that early elections will be held in their constituencies in the coming months, which could be a serious challenge for the ruling Conservative Party.
Boris Johnson announced his immediate resignation as an MP on Friday after receiving a party report which dealt with the issue of parties held during the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. According to the party report, Johnson misled the British Parliament during his premiership, but according to Johnson’s defence, he only told what he heard from his advisers.
Shortly after Johnson’s resignation on Friday, former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries also announced she would quit her seat, followed by Nigel Adams on Saturday. Both were close allies of Johnson.
After the resignations, the opposition parties requested early elections. According to opinion polls, if elections were held now, the opposition Labor Party could defeat the ruling Conservatives by as much as 10-15 percent, but due to the disproportionateness of the electoral system, it would not even be certain that they would win a majority. in Parliament.
Most likely, there will be no snap elections, but there will be a vote only in the circles of those who have resigned. Doris and Adams were representatives of strongly Whig rural constituencies, while Johnson was elected to Parliament from a London suburb, which could easily be won by the now stronger opposition. This by-election will be the first since Rishi Sunak became British Prime Minister last year, so its results will also affect his rule.
