ALBERTO PEZZALI, BEN STANSALL / AFP
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak tear each other apart over a history of nobility
UNITED KINGDOM – Tensions between British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his predecessor Boris Johnson escalated into open conflict on Monday (June 12) after the former occupier of Downing Street resigned from Parliament by a large majority, causing the rifts revealed within the British Conservatives.
The year before the 2024 general election looks set to be a long one for the party, which has been in power for thirteen years and is already battling Labor in the polls.
Boris Johnson, who is still an MP since being forced out of Downing Street last summer, once again threw the majority into an uproar and announced his resignation from Parliament on Friday. He denounced a “witch hunt” as he faced sanctions for lying to MPs during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I didn’t think it was right”
His resignation as an MP also came after psychodrama: the former leader had just seen the list of appointments to the House of Lords which, according to tradition, were proposed by the Prime Ministers at the end of their term.
“Boris Johnson asked me to do something I wasn’t willing to do because I didn’t think it was right,” Rishi Sunak defended on Monday. “I didn’t think it would have been a good thing and if some people don’t like it then it’s a shame.”
It is up to the Acting Prime Minister to approve these appointments after consultation with the House of Lords’ Nominating Committee (Holac) and as usual he makes no changes to the list presented.
Boris Johnson’s father was not included in the list
“Rishi Sunak is talking nonsense,” Boris Johnson replied in a press release, assuring that getting the green light from the Holac was just a “mere formality”. According to British media, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak recently spoke about these appointments and the first thought he had received satisfaction with the second.
But when the list was released on Friday, it was missing a number of names that were repeatedly mentioned in the media, such as the ex-Prime Minister’s father, Stanley, and former ministers.
The controversy grew, leading the Commission to state that it had not supported the candidacy of eight proposed, unnamed individuals.
On the other hand, political allies and former advisers to Boris Johnson have been rewarded with lifetime seats in the House of Lords (including a 29-year adviser) or various honours.
Pledge of Integrity
“I’ve said I’ll do things differently because I want to change politics, and that’s what I’m doing,” said Rishi Sunak, who promised and assured honest and accountable government after the Johnson-era scandals that he wanted to concentrate on fighting inflation and illegal immigration.
The roaring ex-London mayor has never forgiven then-Finance Minister Rishi Sunak for hastening his downfall by quitting the government following a series of scandals involving parts of the government.
Since then, attempts to return to power have been regularly credited to Boris Johnson, who has strong majority allies and considerable aura within the Conservative Party’s grassroots base, for which he remains the one to deliver Brexit after winning a historic victory in the 2019 general election.
BoJo, a real ability to harass?
The former leader, whose three years at Downing Street were marred by scandals and allegations of patronage, slammed the current government in his resignation letter on Friday, accusing it of failing to deliver on its promises made in 2019.
However, Boris Johnson’s actual ability to cause harm remains uncertain. Last year he was forced to abandon an attempt to return to power after the short-lived Liz Truss debacle at Downing Street, leaving the way open for Rishi Sunak, and he failed to get the hoped-for rebellion against a signed between the two Agreement to head Government and Brussels to Northern Ireland.
After his resignation on Friday, only two other MPs followed suit, as some feared a mass movement that could challenge the current Tory majority in Parliament.
Only 25% of Britons and 49% of Conservative voters would welcome a future return to Parliament, according to a YouGov Institute poll released on Monday.
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