Celebration instead of crisis team meeting: Boris Johnson, still Prime Minister of Great Britain, is again criticized for a party. The opposition is demanding the end of his “zombie government”.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson came under criticism again over the weekend for a celebration. As the news channel Sky News reported, the outgoing prime minister gave a private party at the luxurious country estate Checkers on Sunday.
The government had previously declared a disaster due to the heat record expected for the beginning of next week and convened a meeting of the national crisis team Cobra. However, Johnson did not show up on Saturday.
Boris Johnson ‘unable to take responsibility’
The deputy leader of the opposition Labor Party, Angela Rayner, spoke of a “zombie government” and called on Johnson to vacate his seat “if he is still unable to take responsibility”. A plan is needed to keep people safe at work, in traffic, in schools, hospitals and nursing homes in the face of the heat, Rayner said.
The British Weather Service has issued a red weather warning for Monday and Tuesday due to heat – for the first time ever. Up to 40 degrees Celsius are expected in large parts of England. The previous temperature record is 38.7 degrees and was measured in Cambridge in 2019.
Johnson resigned from his position as party leader at the beginning of July under massive pressure from his parliamentary group and the cabinet. Before that, he had caused scandal after scandal – including because of banned lockdown parties at the seat of government. However, he intends to remain in office until a successor is elected.
The selection process moves into another round on Monday when the five remaining candidates face a vote by Conservative Party faction members. The last place is out. The process continues until only two candidates remain. The Tory party members should then decide who will succeed Johnson as party leader and thus as prime minister over the summer.
