July 2022 United Kingdom government crisis

In early July 2022, 63 of Britain's 179 government ministers, parliamentary private secretaries, and trade envoys^[1] resigned from their jobs in Prime Minister Boris Johnson's second administration. This created a lack of confidence in Johnson's leadership which then caused Johnson's own resignation on 7 July.^[2]

On 5 July, after the Chris Pincher scandal, both Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid resigned.^[3] A large number of other members of the government also resigned.^[4][5][6]

Keir Starmer, Leader of the Opposition, criticised Johnson and Conservatives who remained in Cabinet at Prime Minister's Questions.^[7]

By 7 July, sixty Members of Parliament (MPs) had resigned from government and party positions, with Michael Gove being fired by Johnson the day before.^[8] After two days of not wanting to step down, Johnson announced he would resign as Conservative Party leader. However, he did not leave the office of Prime Minister, stating he would only do so upon the announcement of a new leader.^[9][10][11]

1. ↑ "Government ministers". Institute for Government. May 2022. Archived from the original on 8 December 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
2. ↑ Jack Guy, Luke McGee and Ivana Kottasová (7 July 2022). "UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigns after mutiny in his party". CNN. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
3. ↑ "Rishi Sunak resigns as chancellor in devastating blow to Boris Johnson". The Independent. 5 July 2022. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
4. ↑ "Listed: All the Tory MPs who have resigned since Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak quit". The Northern Echo. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
5. ↑ "Government resignations: Who has gone, who is staying?". BBC News. 6 July 2022. Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
6. ↑ "Chris Mason: Boris Johnson facing day of judgement". BBC News. 6 July 2022. Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
7. ↑ "'Charge of the lightweight brigade': Starmer uses PMQs to mock Tories". The Guardian. 6 July 2022. Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
8. ↑ Wood, Poppy (6 July 2022). "Michael Gove sacked by Boris Johnson after calling on the Prime Minister to resign". inews.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
9. ↑ "Boris Johnson blames 'the herd,' resigns to make way for new U.K. leader". The Washington Post. 7 July 2022. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
10. ↑ "Boris Johnson resigns: Five things that led to the PM's downfall". BBC News. 7 July 2022. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
11. ↑ "Boris Johnson facing calls to quit as PM as soon as possible". BBC News. 7 July 2022. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022.