Words by Megan Huws 
Boris JohnsonÔÇÖs tenure as prime minister had its ups and downs, with Johnson persistently proving to the British public that he believes himself and his government above the rules and laws which they create. His resignation came after immense pressure from MPs in his own party, following JohnsonÔÇÖs decision to appoint Chris Pincher as deputy chief whip despite allegations of sexual assault. These resignations began with Rishi Sunak, the finance minister and Sajid Javid, the health secretary, before increasing to almost 60 by Thursday, 7th July.
In his resignation speech on the 7th of July Johnson recounted the success of the Conservative Party, such as Brexit, getting through the Covid-19 pandemic, including the vaccine roll-out and the UKÔÇÖs support of Ukraine. He also thanked his party members, the British Civil Service, and the staff at Number Ten.
Despite this list of successes, this resignation followed a tumultuous tenure as Prime Minister, with some arguing that he has been the most controversial Prime Minister in the history of the UK government. Not only has he made debatable decisions as Prime Minister, but he has also made condemnable moral decisions, such as hiring someone accused of sexual assault and potentially putting vulnerable people at risk by ending lockdowns prematurely.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the government created many laws and restrictions. The government under Johnson had a few successes, such as the widespread speed of the vaccine rollout and the furlough scheme. However, Johnson was criticised for the speed of ending the final lockdown, with reports of unions claiming he was ÔÇÿgoing too far, too soon.ÔÇÖ There also were reports of Johnson saying ÔÇÿlet the bodies pile highÔÇÖ rather than remain in the lockdown.
Whilst the Covid-19 pandemic was unprecedented, we cannot compare JohnsonÔÇÖs actions or fully identify if his actions were the right ones. However, he repeatedly showed that he did not care about the public or personally following the restrictions.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, almost everyone was forced to celebrate successes, birthdays and milestones stuck in their homes. Whilst people said goodbye to dying loved ones over zoom, Johnson and others at 10 Downing Street believed that they were above the laws and lockdowns. In late January 2022, it was revealed that the police were investigating at least 12 gatherings which broke the lockdown laws at the time. Whilst Ten Downing Street initially denied these gatherings broke any rules, reports slowly came out about many gatherings, including several leaving dos, which occurred around December 2020. Downing Street even had to apologise to Queen Elizabeth, as they were partying on the eve of her husband’s, Prince PhillipÔÇÖs funeral where the Queen and members of the Royal Family were permitted to social distance throughout the service. Johnson betrayed the public’s trust by believing they could break the very rules they implemented but also mercilessly put many people at risk.
Johnson proved time and time again that we was willing to lie to the public and put himself above the law.
The final straw in the support of Boris Johnson as prime minister was the controversy surrounding the hiring of Chris Pincher as Deputy Chief Whip. The government initially claimed that Johnson had no idea of PincherÔÇÖs sexual assault allegations, yet it later came to light that he was aware of these allegations and still chose to hire him. It was also alleged by Dominic Cummings that Johnson jokingly referred to Pincher as ÔÇÿPincher by name, pincher by nature.ÔÇÖ Johnson yet again lied to the public and willingly chose to hire and support Pincher despite his unforgivable actions.
Johnson proved time and time again that he was willing to lie to the public and put himself above the law. Not only do these major events and actions prove that his tenure as prime minister was doomed, but he also persistently lied and claimed he wasnÔÇÖt involved in controversial acts when it was later discovered he was. These actions proved to the public and eventually his MPs that he could not be trusted, ending his corrupt tenure as Prime Minister.
Without a doubt, following the election of Lizz Truss as the next Prime Minister earlier this month, the country will be waiting to see if the moral tide is turning for the Conservative Party – if the next link in the chain of Tory corruption is just around the corner.
