British Prime Minister Boris Johnson took another hit today, but insisted he not resign following the Conservative Party’s defeat in Thursday’s midterm elections, which led to the president’s sudden resignation from the formation.
The Conservatives lost both seats in the dispute in Tiverton-Honiton, a historically right-wing constituency in southwestern England, and in Wakefield, a traditional left-wing stronghold on the so-called “red wall” in the north of the country. The Conservatives defeated the Labor Party in the 2019 law.
In the by-elections, the results of which were announced early Friday, Tiverton-Honiton elected an MP from the centrist Liberal Democrat Party and Wakefield returned to the hands of the Labor Party.
The election came less than three weeks after Johnson survived a no-confidence vote put forward by rebel lawmakers from his own party.
And the result further weakens a fast-losing prime minister, considered a “liar” by most Britons, facing social discontent over out-of-control inflation, which was forecast at 9.1% in May and 11% for October.
In Rwanda, where he attended the Commonwealth summit, Johnson acknowledged that the election result was “difficult” for his party, but promised to “listen” to voters and “go forward”, excluding the possibility of his resignation.
“We must recognize that we need to do more, and we will. We will continue to respond to people’s concerns,” he added.
Johnson, who suffered two defeats in last year’s by-elections and suffered a setback in May’s local election, is no longer considered a major asset at the polls, thanks to his promise to deliver Brexit, the big winner of the 2019 legislative election. many in his party, but an increasingly complex burden.
In a letter to Johnson announcing his resignation, British Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden wrote that the new defeats were “the latest in a series of very bad consequences for our party”.
“We cannot continue as if nothing has happened. Someone has to take responsibility and I am convinced that it would not be right to remain in office under these circumstances.”
Warning to Conservatives
The Liberal Democrats beat the Conservatives by more than 6,000 votes in the Tiverton-Honiton constituency, which has won the right in every general election since the 1880s.
And in Wakefield, the Labor opposition regained the nearly 5,000 vote advantage against one of the many strongholds Johnson won in 2019 by pledging to work against regional economic disparities.
In their respective speeches, the two newly elected MPs stated that the UK has lost confidence in Boris Johnson and emphasized that he should resign after the “partygate” scandal organized by various parties in Downing Street. 2020 and 2021.
Labor leader Keir Starmer, who wants to replace Johnson as prime minister after the 2024 general election, said the victory in one of the party’s historic strongholds showed the opposition could win nationally for the first time in more than a year.
“Wakefield has shown that the country has lost confidence in the Conservatives,” he said in a statement. “What a great judgment for the dissonant, opinionless Conservatives and Boris Johnson,” he told the media.
Liberal Democrat Party leader Ed Davey celebrated and said his upbringing “made political history with this stunning victory”. According to him, “the citizens of Tiverton and Honiton spoke on behalf of the country.”
“People are sick of Boris Johnson’s lies and abuses,” he said, before saying the vote was “a wake-up call to all Conservative lawmakers who support Boris Johnson.”
After Johnson’s June 6 vote of no confidence, the Conservative Party cannot take such action against its leader.
But he will soon be the subject of a parliamentary inquiry to determine whether he knowingly lied to lawmakers when he assured that there were no parties in Downing Street, which was subsequently fined 126 police officers.
source: Noticias
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