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| PM Inggris Boris Johnson Akan Mundur |
Boris Johnson will step down as leader of the Conservative party on Thursday (7/7), the BBC reports. The decision paves the way for his successor as Britain's prime minister, after dozens of ministers resigned from his scandal-plagued government.
“Boris Johnson will step down as Conservative leader today. He will continue to serve as prime minister until the fall," the BBC's political editor Chris Mason said Thursday. He added that the leadership race in the Conservative Party (Tory) will take place this summer and the winner will replace Johnson in October 2022.
A Downing Street spokesman said the prime minister would make a statement to the country today.
Opposition Labor leader Keir Starmer called it "good news" that Johnson would step down. But he also said that what was needed was a proper change of government.
Johnson has held on to power, despite a wave of resignations of more than 50 government officials.
But the resignation of education minister Michelle Donelan on Thursday and a plea to quit finance minister Nadhim Zahawi seem to strike a balance. Both only lasted two days in their respective positions.
Northern Ireland Minister Brandon Lewis kicked off a frenzy of events on Thursday, becoming the fourth cabinet minister to resign. He wrote that Johnson was past the point where the PM couldn't turn around.
The Conservative leader on Wednesday night challenged by responding to calls from his loyalists and cabinet mates to step down. He had fired ministers and former main ally Michael Gove.
The Community secretary was reportedly the first to say he should resign for the good of the Tory party and country. Sources close to Johnson told the BBC that Gove was a "snake".
The Sun newspaper said Johnson had told colleagues they had to "dip (their) hands in the blood" to push him out of the office.
Will Walden, Johnson's communications director when the PM became mayor of London, said the prime minister was not going to make changes, and neither was he.
"He has no regrets. And it won't. And he didn't resign. At least not if he can help," he wrote in The Times.
But Thursday's events appear to have forced Johnson.
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