UK PM Boris Johnson’s resignation statement
UK PM Boris Johnson has delivered his resignation statement in Downing Street on Thursday. Below is the statement according to UK government’s website.
“It is now clearly the will of the parliamentary conservative party that there should be a new leader of that party. Therefore, a new Prime Minister and I have agreed with Sir Graham Brady the chairman of our backbench MPs that the process of choosing that new leader should begin now.”
“The timetable will be announced next week. I have today appointed a cabinet to serve, as I will, until a new leader is in place. So, I want to say to the millions of people who voted for us in 2019 – many of them voting Conservative for the first time, thank you for that incredible mandate.”
“The reason I have fought so hard for the last few days to continue to deliver that mandate in person was not just because I wanted to do, but because I felt it was my job, my duty, my obligation to you to continue to do what we promised in 2019. Of course, I am immensely proud of the achievements of this government. These achievements include getting Brexit done and settling our relations with the continent after half a century reclaiming the power for this country to make its own laws in parliament. It also includes getting us all through the pandemic, delivering the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe, the fastest exit from lockdown.”
“In the last few months leading the west in standing up to Putin’s aggression in Ukraine. Let me say now to the people of Ukraine that I know that we in the UK will continue to back your fight for freedom for as long as its takes.”
“At the same time in this country we have at the same time been pushing forward a vast programme of investment in infrastructure, skills and technology. In the last few days, I have tried to persuade my colleagues that it would be eccentric to change governments. when we are delivering so much, when we have such a vast mandate and when we are actually only a handful of points behind in the polls, even in midterm after quite a few months of pretty unrelenting sledging and when the economic scene is so difficult domestically and internationally. I regret not to have been successful in those arguments.”
“Of course, it is painful not to be able to see through so many ideas and projects myself. As, we’ve seen at Westminster, the herd is powerful and when the herd moves, it moves and my friends in politics no one is remotely indispensable. Our brilliant and Darwinian system will produce another leader equally committed to taking this country forward through tough times, not just helping families to get through it but changing and improving our systems, cutting burdens on businesses and families and also cutting taxes.”
“To that new leader I say, whoever he or she may be, I will give you as much support as I can. To you the British people I know that there will be many who are relieved, but perhaps quite a few who will be disappointed. I want you to know how sad I am to give up the best job in the world, but theme’s the breaks. I want to thank Carrie and our children, to all the members of my family who have had to put up with so much for so long.”
“I want to thank the peerless British civil service for all the help and support that you have given and our police, our emergency services and of course our NHS who at a critical moment helped to extend my own period in office. As well as, I want to thank our armed services and our agencies that are so admired around the world. Above all I want to thank you the British public for the immense privilege you have given me.”
“I want you to know that from now until the new Prime Minister is in place, your interests will be served and the government of the country will be carried on. I have found so many people possessed of such boundless British originality and so willing to tackle old problems in new ways that I know that even if things can sometimes seem dark now, our future together is golden.” UK PM Boris Johnson concluded.
