The crisis engulfing Boris Johnson’s government deepened as four top aides quit, with one unleashing a devastating attack on his judgment.
The U.K. prime minister’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. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak also gave a subtle rebuke to the prime minister over an attack on opposition leader Keir Starmer that he suggested went too far.
Most damaging was the exit of Munira Mirza, one of Johnson’s longest-standing allies, who quit as head of the policy unit in protest over the “scurrilous” remark in which the prime minister blamed Starmer for allowing an infamous child-sex abuser to escape justice.
Johnson sought to calm nerves in Downing Street on Friday, telling staff it was a “challenging time,” according to his spokesman Max Blain, who also told reporters the premier had quoted “The Lion King” line: “Change is good.” Johnson’s office also confirmed policy adviser Elena Narozanski had resigned.
The rush of departures has sparked fresh unease within the ruling Conservative party. One former minister talked about Johnson’s premiership with a hint of melancholy, as if it was already effectively over. Another Tory MP said that Mirza’s resignation was a huge blow to Johnson.
Plot threat
A third said that her letter made it clear that there is now an organized plot against the premier and it may well succeed in bringing him down.
“Very clear that Munira Mirza thinks that the PM should go and, by resigning and publishing this letter, she is trying to facilitate that,” former Conservative minister David Gauke, who was removed from the parliamentary party by Johnson during the wrangling over Brexit in 2019, said on Twitter. “Nearly everyone draws a line at some point.”
The pressure for Johnson to step down has been increasing among members of his Conservative party after a series of missteps and allegations that he and his team held rule-breaking parties during the pandemic.
Johnson is also grappling with escalating tensions over a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine, and a growing cost-of-living squeeze on households.
Price surge
The energy regulator Ofgem on Thursday announced a 54% hike in domestic energy bills that will be only partially offset by a 9 billion-pound ($12 billion) support package unveiled by Sunak in response. Meanwhile the Bank of England increased its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 0.5% in a bid to contain the fastest inflation in three decades.
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.”
Blain said the departures of Rosenfield, Reynolds and Doyle were mutually agreed before Mirza’s resignation, and reflected Johnson’s pledge this week to reset his Downing Street operation.
“This is the prime minister taking charge,” business minister Greg Hands told Sky News on Friday. Hands said Mirza’s resignation was “a little bit different” and Johnson had “made clear” he disagreed with her reasons for quitting.
‘Rushed’
Nikki da Costa, who resigned as Number 10’s director of legislative affairs last year, told BBC Radio the resignations late Thursday had “all the signs of being rushed in order to try and regain control” following Mirza’s departure.
The so-called partygate scandal is being investigated by the police and has seen support for Johnson’s Tories — and his own personal ratings — plummet. 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.
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.
Johnson’s administration was censured on Monday for “failures of leadership and judgment” in a civil service investigation into the lockdown gatherings, which had to be watered down so as not to prejudice the criminal probe.
Savile slur
But as he tried to rally his MPs during a heated session in the House of Commons, the prime minister accused Starmer of spending most of his time in his previous role as director of public prosecutions “prosecuting journalists and failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile.”
Savile was a eccentric character and a fixture on British television who was embraced by the establishment. After his death in 2011, it emerged that he’d been sexually abusing children for decades and allegations made during his lifetime had been dismissed.
Johnson’s attack led to a storm of criticism because Starmer was not personally involved in the Savile case.
“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, who had worked with Johnson since 2008, said in her resignation letter which was published by the Spectator magazine.
Asked during a televised press conference if Johnson should apologize, Sunak replied that “it’s a question for the prime minister rather than me.” Perhaps more tellingly, he also added: “Being honest, I wouldn’t have said it.”
