Boris Johnson's premiership has been dogged by scandal after scandal. Since entering 10 Downing Street in 2019 he's attempted to ride every out storm that struck.
But now, after dozens of ministerial resignations and a Cabinet revolt, he's agreed to resign. Here we take a look back at 11 scandals which eventually led to his downfall.
Unlawfully proroguing Parliament
In 2019 Boris Johnson prorogued Parliament, in a move which the Supreme Court later ruled was unlawful. Shutting down the Commons for five weeks before the Brexit deadline had an 'extreme' effect on democracy, 11 justices said.
The PM later announced a crackdown on the ability to challenge his decisions in the courts.
Jennifer Arcuri
Mr Johnson's friendship with Jennifer Arcuri led to a string of ethics probes. The model-turned-entrepreneur - who went on three trade missions he led as London mayor -later said she had an affair with the married PM.
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The police watchdog did not open a criminal investigation, but found 'some evidence' they were in an 'intimate relationship' - and said failing to declare it could have breached the London Assembly’s code of conduct.
Barnard Castle
Dominic Cummings' infamous trip to Barnard Castle, while sick with covid during the first lockdown, sparked widespread public anger. Mr Johnson stood by his top aide after he refused to resign despite the huge backlash.
VIP lane
A so-called VIP lane used to hand out PPE contracts to two companies during covid was ruled unlawful by the High Court. Thousands of contracts were awarded to private companies as the Government battled to get vital equipment such as PPE and tests at the start of the pandemic.
The Government insisted they had to act quickly, but many deals were handed to associates of ministers and officials.
Gold wallpaper
The PM and then partner, now wife Carrie spent more than £112,000 refurbishing their Downing Street flat, including the notorious £840 a roll gold wallpaper. Mr Johnson assumed a charitable trust would pay for the work on the four bed home, but when that fell through donor Lord Brownlow paid instead.
The PM claimed he had no knowledge of the arrangement- but then 'missing' messages revealed not only did he ask Brownlow for 'approvals', he also promised to examine the donor's idea of a second Great Exhibition. Eventually the PM settled the bill himself but the Tories were fined £18k for not recording the affair properly.
Free holiday
In December 2019 Mr Johnson took a free holiday at a luxury villa in Mustique, arranged by David Ross, the Tory donor and co-founder of Carphone Warehouse. In July 2021 Mr Johnson was reprimanded by parliament's committee on standards for failing to 'establish the full facts' about the trip.
MPs' sex offences
During Mr Johnson's time in office several MPs have been accused or convicted of serious sexual offences. They include Conservative MP for Dover Charlie Elphicke who was jailed for two years after being found of three counts of sexual assault against two women, former Conservative minister Andrew Griffiths who was found by a high court judge to have raped his wife and subjected her to coercive control and Imran Ahmad Khan, the Conservative MP for Wakefield, who was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy after plying him with alcohol at a party in 2008.
Lebedev meeting
On Wednesday this week Mr Johnson admitted for the first time that he met ex-KGB agent Alexander Lebedev while he was Foreign Secretary. The meeting took place at an Italian palazzo without officials present in April 2018.
The PM told MPs on the Commons liaison committee that he had 'certainly met' Lebedev, also the former owner of the Independent and acknowledged that the meeting took place privately.
Lobbying
Last year Conservative MP Owen Paterson was found to have broken lobbying rules and was facing suspension in connection with two paid roles as a consultant which saw him earn £100,000 a year on top of his MP's salary. He was facing suspension until Tory MPs blocked it by calling for an overhaul of the MPs' standards watchdog instead.
They initially had the backing of No 10, but Downing Street reversed its decision after a furious backlash.
Partygate
Mr Johnson made history by becoming the first PM to have officially been found to have broken the law when he was hit with a fixed penalty notice over Downing Street lockdown parties. Police fined him £50 over a No 10 birthday party in June 2020, while indoor gatherings were banned.
Sue Gray's damning report into lockdown-busting parties across Whitehall later revealed that government staff had drunken brawls, vomited and sang karaoke until dawn while strict restrictions on socialising were in place. The PM said he was 'humbled' and 'appalled' by the findings, but refused to step down.
Chris Pincher
Conservative deputy chief whip Chris Pincher resigned after admitting he had 'embarrassed myself and other people' following reports that he drunkenly groped two men at a private members club in London. After reports emerged that Mr Pincher had also been the subject of similar accusations in the past, No 10 initially said Mr Johnson was not aware of 'specific allegations' before giving him the job.
The PM later admitted he had been told about the complaint in 2019 - but had made a 'bad mistake' by not acting on it.
Also read:
- Boris Johnson agrees to quit as Prime Minister following a string of resignations
- Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer issues blunt response to Boris Johnson resignation
- "I guess he got one big call right...": Social media reacts as Boris Johnson agrees to resign as Prime Minister
- The contenders to replace Boris Johnson as Prime Minister
- The morning that finally brought down Boris Johnson... How the chaos unfolded, minute-by-minute
