UK's Johnson ‘past the point of no return’, says big Tory donor
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is past “the point of no return” after the Partygate scandal, a major Conservative Party donor has said, calling on him to step down.
Speaking to BBC, finance mogul John Armitage, who has donated the Tories over £3m, said he found the political situation surrounding No. 10 “tremendously upsetting”.
Weeks of media revelations about the parties - including a “bring your own booze” event attended by Johnson - have seen Conservative opinion poll ratings slump and shaken many of the MPs’ faith in a leader who helped secure them the 2019 election.
Johnson is even facing a fresh controversy over his remarks that falsely linked Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to the failure to prosecute Jimmy Savile, who was revealed to be a serial sexual abuser after his death in 2011.
No. 10 has made clear the premier would not apologize for the remarks, which provoked renewed anger when protesters shouted abuse at the Labour leader on Monday.
Now, amid calls for his resignation, Johnson opted to embark on a mini-reshuffle as he tried to regain his grip on power.
However, Armitage told BBC he thought political leaders should resign if they lose “moral authority”, adding, “I find the lack of honor inherent in modern politics incredibly distressing.”
Asked if Johnson was “past the point of no return”, the donor said, “Well, personally yes.”
“Politicians should go into politics to do good for their country. That is the overwhelming reason to be in politics. I don’t think it’s about your own personal sense of getting to the top of a snakes-and-ladders game.”
On Tuesday, Johnson reshuffled some ministers in his administration in a bid to appease his lawmakers angered by the scandals. The changes, though, did not include any of the senior Cabinet positions.
He also reshuffled his "whips" operation, the team of lawmakers who enforce discipline in the governing Conservative Party to insure lawmakers support government policy.
Asked about the shake-up at No. 10, Armitage said, “It’s about more than like, ‘If I’m failing, I’ve done a few things wrong, oh gosh, I’m going to change my advisers, God above!’.”
“What about a sense of personal responsibility? You know, ‘I’m going to change my chief of staff and it will all be fine’. Oh, really?”
Several Conservative lawmakers as well as opposition leaders have called for Johnson’s resignation. The opposition accuses him of misleading parliament, a charge he has denied.
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