Appeal to UK Prime Minister

Former UK health chief Sajid Javid on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign amid another scandal surrounding the head of government.

"It is unfair when colleagues in government go out to the media every morning and defend positions they do not share and do not support. It is unfair to Conservative Party members and voters who have a right to expect a better standard of conduct from the party they supported," Javid said, speaking in the House of Commons of the British Parliament. "I have come to the conclusion that the problem starts at the top. And I suppose it's not going to change there," he added.

The new scandal surrounding Johnson erupted last week when it was revealed that the deputy chief organiser of the ruling Conservative Party's "whip" in the British House of Commons, Christopher John Pincher, while intoxicated, harassed two men in a public establishment.

Against the backdrop of the incident, Pincher was forced to step down from his position. It emerged, however, that Johnson, who had previously appointed Pincher to senior party and government positions, was aware that he had already been the subject of a parliamentary harassment investigation in 2019.

In an interview with Sky News on Tuesday, Johnson apologised to voters for Pincher's appointments both the latest and previous ones. At the same time, the prime minister did not comment on media reports that he was aware of Pincher's inappropriate behaviour and even joked about it with his colleagues in government. Just after Johnson issued his apology, Javid and Finance Minister Rishi Sunak resigned.

Other members of the government later followed suit, with a number of Conservative MPs saying they had lost confidence in the prime minister. "Doing nothing is a strange decision," Javid warned the remaining ministers on Wednesday.

He expressed concern about how future generations will perceive the Conservative Party if it does not adhere to high standards of ethics. According to British political commentators, Johnson's position has weakened markedly in light of the scandal, which could force him to resign in the coming days.