The pledge of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to remain in power despite losing the public’s trust, his party’s trust, losing at least 15 government ministers in 24 hours, and losing his integrity following countless scandals and lies offers an insight into Western capitalism and what London labels as democracy. 

This is the same democracy Britain tried to promote in Afghanistan by sending a MONARCH (Prince Harry) to fire a machine gun from a helicopter at Afghans on the ground. This was joked about at the time but it was also a fact.

Johnson’s Chancellor or Finance Minister Rishi Sunak resigned in the middle of a cost of living crisis and his Health Minister Sajid Javid resigned in the middle of a crisis in the health sector. 

Those resignations came following Johnson’s humiliating apology over his appointment of Chris Pincher to a senior government role. Pincher is said to have sexually assaulted two people and promptly quit last week after the news emerged. But Johnson admitted to being aware about previous inappropriate behavior by Pincher and still decided to appoint him because he was an ally. 

That prompted the resignations of the two senior cabinet ministers and then followed a wave of other government ministers quitting, the positions of which are too long to list. At the time of writing, other members serving in the government are resigning from their posts. Around 30 members to be precise. 

During Wednesday’s parliamentary session (or Prime Ministers Questions), the former health minister, now sitting in the backbenches as an MP - Sajid Javid - rebuked the cabinet ministers who have not resigned saying “not doing something is an active decision.”

Javid also said that he has “concluded that 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 a position who have a responsibility to make that change.”

But Javid and Sunak took their time in quitting. They should have resigned much earlier than the latest scandal. Both politicians see themselves as possible replacements for Johnson and remaining in their posts would have affected that opportunity. 

Nevertheless, the damage in Downing Street has already been done PR wise and the embarrassment of a country that ventures on military adventurism on the other side of the world with it’s partner on the other side of the pond the U.S., to allegedly spread democracy via the bullet while it’s leader back home has become a laughing stock and the new Donald Trump of the UK. 

There is also a government that has basically collapsed as every minister who quit had plans for the future and the mass changes or replacements mean all those policies have gone to the dustbin with the new appointees having to start from scratch during a crisis in literally every layer of British society. 

Where is the governance? Every sector is on strike or planning some form of industrial action. Who is taking the responsible leaders to take the country out of the multiple crises the public are suffering from. 

The country has a Prime Minister who doesn’t have the support of his party let alone the public who are both angry and dismayed. While he maintained the confidence of Tory MPs by a slim margin in a recent confidence vote, it would only take some 32 MPs to switch side at some point in the not-so-distant future for his premiership to be over.

Taking a quick glance at the British newspapers who are on friendly terms with the Conservative party or close allies with the Tories, it’s evident the majority of the broadsheets and tabloids have decided to turn their backs on the man sitting in Downing Street amid rising public anger. 

The Times says “Game Over” noting that “just two weeks ago, the Conservatives suffered historic by-election defeats in two previously solid seats. That highlighted the depth of hostility to Mr. Johnson in very different parts of the country,”

The Daily Mail says it has been “urging loyal Tories to stand by their leader in these difficult times and allow him to get on with the job of running the country. A backbench coup failed and despite a trickle of low-level resignations, the party could have rediscovered its common cause and sense of purpose. Yesterday, however, the dam burst.”

The Sun says “cabinet resignations make his position dicey to put it mildly. Unless he delivers for the British people in short order it will be utterly untenable.”

The Daily Telegraph, possibly the closest paper to the Conservative party, had a columnist writing “finally, and dramatically, it is all falling apart. After waiting for months to see if any senior member of the Cabinet had a backbone, we now find that there are at least two vertebrates.”

The Daily Express still maintains some optimism but said “those who still respect his genius for campaigning but are dismayed by mistakes and gaffes will now watch the PM intently for evidence he can unite the party and rapidly change Britain for the better.”

The end looks like it’s near for the current UK Premier, polls show his popularity is low and the public saga is dragging out longer than perhaps expected but the more he clings to power the more this party is going to lose in the next General election.

And that’s according to an increasing number of Tory MPs who have lost all confidence in their own party leader and to be frank, as one Tory member alluded to, the Johnson leadership is turning the UK into some kind of Banana Republic. 

The ending may get ugly. 

The UK Housing Secretary Michael Gove has indicated he's unhappy with Boris Johnson remaining in his post, British media reported. That is said to have come following reports he asked the prime minister to resign on Wednesday morning. The claims have not been denied by a spokesman for the Secretary who has his eyes on the top government position. 

Gove has stuck with Johnson throughout all this mess and is not exactly the most likable person in the country. That provides an indication of just how low the British premier has sunk. 

Just a quick reminder of the more notable stories and scandals that damaged Johnson’s reputation. 

The PM and Downing Street staff had gatherings and parties when the country was under lockdown restrictions.

The Conservative party was fined £17,800 by the Electoral Commission, which found the Tories had improperly declared donations towards the refurbishment of Johnson’s Downing Street flat.

Johnson and Sunak were fined for attending the prime minister’s birthday party in Downing Street in June 2020, as part of a Metropolitan Police probe into alleged parties at the heart of the government during the pandemic. The first sitting PM to break the law. 

The prime minister’s authority was damaged by a confidence vote that saw 41 percent of his MPs try to oust him.

Defeat in two crunch by-elections and the subsequent surprise resignation of the Conservative party co-chairman, Oliver Dowden, pitched Johnson’s leadership into a fresh crisis.

Don’t be surprised if another no-confidence vote is held or Johnson decides to call it quits before he is forced to pack his bags.