“Boris Johnson gave in to the pressure”says the Times. On Friday, the British Prime Minister, faced with a new scandal in his camp, suspended from the Conservative Party Chris Pincher, one of his faithful, who had resigned twenty-four hours earlier.
Le « whip » adjoint, “the one who must, ironically, maintain order in the ranks of the Conservative MPs”, comment Politicoa “tripped” two men at a party at the Carlton Club, a Tory lounge in London, when the 52-year-old politician was “excessively drunk”according to witnesses cited by the BBC. He admitted to an advanced state of intoxication in his resignation letter, saying he had “too much drunk”. An investigation has been opened.
His suspension recorded, “the spotlight shone on what the Prime Minister knew about the allegations against Pincher”note it Guardian. Why did Boris Johnson take so long to react? A spokesman for 10 Downing Street explained that the leader, who had just returned from the G7 summit in Madrid, did not want to make a hasty decision. It was the account of the events by a direct witness that convinced him to act.
It is the sixth sex scandal involving a Conservative Party MP during Mr Johnson’s tenure, however, recalls the Guardian. The leader of the “Tories” therefore faces criticism from all sides, starting with the opposition of course. “You can never expect him to make the right decisions. This scandal is further proof of his lack of judgment.laments Angela Rayner, Labour’s number two. “It is time for Conservative MPs to show the door to this chaotic Prime Minister”she adds.
But even within his party, we get annoyed. Two former ministers, Caroline Nokes and Karen Bradley, warn against “serious damage to reputation” conservatives. Neil Parish, quickly pushed out after being caught watching pornographic videos on his phone in parliamentary session, denounces a double standard. “We are supposed to be the party of law and order, the one that protects the victims, but we pass for the party that defends the predators”complains a deputy to the site Politico Europe.
Boris Johnson doesn’t like conflict
And of course, the British press is having a field day. A columnist of The Independent evokes a “barometer of the sordid” and his reaction when he learned the details of the scandal: ” not yet ! ». A grandstand of Times is much more severe. “Rapists, muggers, gropers, clumsy, drunks, porn addicts. We are lucky with all the qualities of our deputies, right? 60 million inhabitants and they are the ones who have been chosen to represent us in Parliament”can we read in the daily newspaper. “It is no longer acceptable. That’s enough. If you can’t behave like a decent, moral human being, you don’t deserve to sit in parliament.”says the text again.
Politico Europe paints the portrait of a leader with little interest in conflict and sanctions. “Boris Johnson cannot (or will not) discipline his troops. His reluctance to punish his colleagues who are at fault is legendary.ensures the site. “Even being charged with sexual assault on a drunken night won’t get you in trouble with Boris Johnson (…) So his lack of action came as no surprise to anyone in Westminster”continues Politico.
Le Sun, a conservative tabloid which revealed the affair on Thursday, tempers the picture. The newspaper believes that Chris Pincher’s discrepancies were “predictable”. In 2017, he was previously charged with inappropriate conduct with former Olympian, Conservative Party member Alex Story. Predictable also according to Sun “the circus of debates” which followed in the media. “But that’s not just the Conservatives’ problem. It’s Westminster. Anyone who says otherwise makes change more difficult”estimates the daily.
Could these serial scandals be paid for at the ballot box? Mr. Pincher’s position will be up for grabs. According to Sky Newsvoices among the Tories fear that the « fiasco Pincher » do more damage than “partygate”, “confirming to his critics his blind devotion to his friends, his terrible judgment and his lack of ethics”.
Chris Pincher has been replaced by Kelly Tolhurst, portrayed by Sky News as “another Johnson loyalist” but warns the chain, “This story is far from over”.