Boris Johnson's volatile relationship with the truth flowed almost everything he did. It characterized much of his career. From his college elite Eton School for boys to 10 Downing Street.
Rowing a long-standing myth about immigration and European intervention paved the way for him to become prime minister and withdraw his country from the European Union. With facts and rules.
On Thursday, after a turbulent 48 hours and a series of resignations from his government, the British Prime Minister planned his own departure.
"In politics," he told reporters and staff gathered outside his official residence in London, "no one is remotely essential."
See | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced his resignation.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would resign after several ministers, including close allies, resigned from the government. Johnson said he would be in office until his successor was selected.
But in the end, it wasn't Johnson's own misconception that he was defeated three years later as a Conservative leader. It was his claim that others would lie on his behalf (sometimes unknowingly).
Sajid Javid, who was Johnson's Minister of Health until Tuesday night, revealed his frustration in this regard in his speech at the House of Commons.
"Once again, there was reason to question the truth and integrity of what we all said," Javid told the MP. "At some point, we need to conclude that it's enough."
'Jerkingly self-serving approach'
Javid said, "Partygate", pointing out a scandal involving a bunch of fuss during the COVID-19 lockdown, making Johnson the first British Prime Minister to be licensed by the police. Javid said the Johnson team assured him that the rules weren't broken when they had very much.
After Javid's resignation, more than 40 other ministers and aides chased him out the door in protest of the Prime Minister.
Foreign Minister Victoria Atkinswrote, "I can no longer pirouette around our broken values." Minister of the Environment. Joe Churchill added that"jokes and self-serving approaches" to the role of Prime Ministerare "limited."
It's not that there was no red flag.
Consider this warning 40 years ago.
This was written by Martin Hammond, a literary professor at Eton College, in a 1982 letter to Johnson's father Stanley. The now famous memo was reprinted in a 2012 biography by Andrew Gimson when Johnson was mayor. London.
As a sign of what's to come, Hammond added, "Boris really adopted a shameful Cavalier attitude in his classical studies."
Former Prime Minister David Cameron crossed the road with Johnson, first at Eton College and then at Oxford University. The Daily Mailfront pagereminds the Britons of how Cameron began to see Cameron as a Tory colleague this week as an "oiled piglet." I was allowed to.
Johnson "manages mere mortals to slip through the hands of others where they fail," Cameronsaid in 2019{75. }.
Lies led to his downfall
But Johnson's recent scandal showed the death of his premiership. And again, it contained his problem with the truth.
Last week, after allegations of sexual misconduct over Conservative Christopher Pincher surfaced, Downing Street said about previous complaints when Johnson promoted Pincher to the role of Deputy Leader. First denied that he did not have the knowledge of.
In the end, Johnson's spokesperson was forced to admitThe Prime Minister actually personally knew some claims before the promotion of Pincher. It had been.
"I think the very clear evidence that No. 10 is hiding the truth this week is the straw that broke the camel's back, if not completely lying." Anand Menon London, a professor of political science at King's College, told CBC News.
Johnson's approach did more than just roughly carry out the facts. It turns out to hurt people from time to time.
In yesterday's resignation, Equality Minister Mike Freer said the Johnson administration "created a hostile atmosphere for the LGBT + people." "
Earlier this year, Johnson despised the families of victims of sexual abuse, repeating unfounded allegations involving opposition leader Keir Starmer and infamous child predator Jimmy Savile.accused of doing.
Misleading about Britain's departure from the EU
Johnson campaigned for Britain to leave the EU in 2016 The project is largely based on the desire to limit the UK's exit from the EU. The UK "sends £ 350 million a week" (or Cdn over $ 700 million at the time). Instead, a red Brexit bus adorned with bold white letters claiming that the UK can choose to fund national health services.
The UK Census Bureauhas labeledas "apparent abuse of official statistics."
Johnson's two predecessors, Cameron and Theresa May, saw their term as the Prime Minister collapsed due to Brexit. .. The EU divorce then served as a starting point for Johnson to leap to 10th place. Instead, Johnson described the Tories' impetus for leadership changes as "eccentric."
The tone may not have been a surprise to Johnson's old teacher, Martin Hammond.
"I think," Hammond wrote in the letter in 1982, "He honestly believes that it is our ruthlessness not to consider him an exception. Otherwise. "
Thomas Daigle extensively talked about Brexit and the turmoil of the British Conservatives when he was based at the CBC's London office from 2016 to 2019. I reported.
With Ashley Burke files