LONDON: Senior ministers on Wednesday were set to tell Boris Johnson he must quit as prime minister, British media said, after a spate of resignations from his scandal-hit government.
A delegation was awaiting his return from a two-hour grilling by a parliamentary committee to tell him his time was up, BBC, Sky News and other outlets reported, without quoting sources.
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The 58-year-old leader’s grip on power has been slipping since Tuesday night, when Rishi Sunak resigned as finance minister and Sajid Javid quit as health secretary.
Both said they could no longer tolerate the culture of scandal that has dogged Johnson for months, including lockdown lawbreaking in Downing Street.
But at the parliamentary committee, and an earlier question and answer session with MPs in parliament, he defiantly vowed to get on with the job.
“I’m not going to give a running commentary on political events,” he told the committee when asked about the cabinet delegation.
“We’re going to get on with the government of the country.”
He added: “What we need is stable government, loving each other as Conservatives, getting on with our priorities, that is what we need to do.”
Earlier, Javid urged other ministers to resign saying “the problem starts at the top, and I believe that is not going to change”.
“And that means that it is for those of us in that position — who have responsibility — to make that change.”
Cries of “bye, Boris” echoed around the chamber at the end of his speech. Most Tories were conspicuously silent when Johnson attacked the Labour opposition at prime minister’s questions. Some shook their heads.
Sunak and Javid quit just minutes after Johnson apologised for appointing a senior Conservative, who quit his post last week after he was accused of drunkenly groping two men.
Former education secretary Nadhim Zahawi was immediately handed the finance brief and acknowledged the uphill task ahead.
“You don’t go into this job to have an easy life,” Zahawi told Sky News.
Days of shifting explanations had followed the resignation of deputy chief whip Chris Pincher.
Downing Street at first denied Johnson knew of prior allegations against Pincher when appointing him in February.
