متنافسون لقيادة حزب المحافظين في بريطانيا infographic
Graphic shows likely contenders for Conservative leadership.
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سياسة

متنافسون لقيادة حزب المحافظين في بريطانيا

By Duncan Mil

July 7, 2022 - بعد 24 ساعة صاخبة في السياسة البريطانية، وافق رئيس الوزراء بوريس جونسون على الاستقالة بعد خسارة 60 وزيراً ومساعداً احتجاجاً على قيادته.

Johnson intends to continue as “caretaker” prime minister until a new Tory leader is elected to replace him -- possibly by the autumn. However, some Tory MPs are urging him to leave as soon as possible to avoid government paralysis.

Former minister Sir Bob Neill told MPs there was a “serious question mark” over how long a caretaker prime minister could stay in place.

“Might it not be in everybody’s interest to speed up the transition as much as possible?,” he added.

Johnson resisted calls to go until Thursday morning when it became clear that he had lost the confidence of his MPs and that the government could no longer function.

In December 2019, Johnson won a historic landslide victory in a general election -- but he has been dogged by controversy in recent months, including a fine for breaking his coronavirus lockdown laws by holding alcohol-fuelled parties at his official residence in 2020 and 2021, soon nicknamed “partygate.” The latest revolt followed revelations about the prime minister’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations against Chris Pincher, the Conservative Party’s deputy chief whip.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 07/07/2022; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: Getty Images
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