The crisis engulfing Boris Johnson’s government deepened as four top aides quit, with one of them unleashing a devastating attack on the U.K. prime minister’s judgment.
The premier’s chief of staff, Dan Rosenfield, and his principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds, both resigned on Thursday, as did his director of communications, Jack Doyle.
But perhaps the most damaging was the exit of Munira Mirza, one of his longest-standing allies, who quit as head of the policy unit in protest over a “scurrilous” remark Johnson made about opposition rival Keir Starmer.
The moves come at a critical time, as Johnson faces mounting pressure from members of his Conservative Party to step down over a series of missteps and allegations he and his team held rule-breaking parties during the pandemic.
The so-called partygate scandal is being investigated by the police and has brought Johnson to the brink as support for his Tories — and his own personal ratings — plummeted in the polls. At least 14 of his members of Parliament have called on him to resign or said they’ve lost confidence in him. Others have said they’ll reserve judgment until the police reach their conclusions.
‘Last Days of Rome’
Asked by Channel 4 News if Thursday’s developments felt like “the last days of Rome,” Chief Secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke, a member of Johnson’s cabinet, replied: “The last days of Rome, I think, were more fun.”
Johnson’s administration was censured on Monday for “failures of leadership and judgment” in a government investigation into the lockdown gatherings, which had to be watered down so as not to prejudice the criminal probe.
Amid the fallout, Johnson promised to “fix it,” including through an overhaul of his office. Yet Johnson told 5 News he was “sorry” to lose Mirza, who he described as a “wonderful colleague for a long time” and praised for doing “an outstanding job.”
In her resignation letter, Mirza cited Johnson’s accusation that Labour Party leader Starmer — in a former role as director of public prosecutions — was personally responsible for allowing serial child-sex abuser Jimmy Savile to escape justice, according to the Spectator magazine.
‘Inappropriate’
“This was not the usual cut and thrust of politics; it was an inappropriate and partisan reference to a horrendous case of child sex abuse,” Mirza said in her resignation letter, according to the Spectator magazine. Mirza began working with Johnson when he became London mayor in 2008.
Adding to the sense of crisis, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak — one of the favorites to succeed him — offered only a lukewarm defense of Johnson in a televised press conference, even as he said the premier “has my support.”
“I wouldn’t have said it,” Sunak said in reference to the Savile remark. Asked if Johnson should apologize, he replied: “It’s a question for the prime minister rather than me.”
Johnson had taken aim at the Labour leader in the House of Commons on Monday, as he responded to the report into the pandemic parties. Trying to rally his MPs during a heated session, the prime minister accused Starmer of spending most of his time in his previous role “prosecuting journalists and failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile.”
But the comment backfired and led to a storm of criticism because Starmer was not personally involved in the Savile case.
‘Trumpian’
Former Tory cabinet minister Amber Rudd told ITV’s “Peston” program that Johnson’s comments were a “Trumpian response to try and deflect from himself and use something so outrageous that people will talk about that rather than the big issue.”
Many Tory MPs have already criticized what they see as Johnson’s self-inflicted wounds, including his ultimately doomed attempt to save a Conservative colleague during an ethics row last year.
Starmer himself later accused Johnson of “parroting the conspiracy theories of violent fascists to try to score cheap political points.”
Johnson appeared to back down on the Savile claim on Thursday, telling broadcasters he was “making a point about” Starmer’s “responsibility for the organization as a whole,” rather than his personal record.
Rebellious MPS
But in her letter, Mirza said his explanation fell short of what she had demanded of him, according to the Spectator. “Despite my urging, you did not apologize for the misleading impression you gave,” she said.
Meanwhile Johnson is trying to fend off the growing threat to his leadership. On Wednesday, three more Tory MPs submitted letters calling for a vote of no-confidence in him. That would be triggered if the number reaches 54 — or 15% of the total. The running tally remains private until the threshold is reached.
In an interview earlier Thursday with the BBC, Sunak pointedly didn’t rule out seeking the top job if it became available. He warned that public confidence in Johnson’s administration has been shaken over the pandemic party allegations, and said he “can appreciate people’s frustration.”
Asked if he would rule out standing for Conservative leader, Sunak called it a “hypothetical situation,” while saying it was “very kind” that some Tory MPs had suggested him for the top job.
