LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he plans to stay in power despite the resignations of two top Cabinet ministers and a slew of more junior officials.
Johnson told lawmakers Wednesday that “the job of a prime minister in difficult circumstances when you’ve been handed a colossal mandate is to keep going.”
Johnson’s hold on power has been shaken by the resignations of Treasury chief Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid. They quit Tuesday saying they could no longer support Johnson because of his handling of ethics scandals including the case of a senior official accused of sexual misconduct.
Johnson quickly replaced the two men, but a string of junior ministers have also quit, and Johnson’s support inside his Conservative Party is shrinking rapidly.
Opponents hope to change party rules to allow a new no-confidence vote in Johnson. He survived one such vote last month, with 41% of lawmakers voting against him.
