Boris Johnson Quits As UK Prime Minister, Dragged Down By Scandals

• Boris Johnson announced on July 7^th, 2022 he would quit as British prime minister after he dramatically lost the support of his ministers and most Conservative lawmakers, but said he would stay on until his successor was chosen. 
• Bowing to the inevitable as more than 50 government ministers and aides quit and lawmakers said he must go, an isolated and powerless Johnson said it was clear his party wanted someone else in charge, but that his forced departure was "eccentric" and the result of "herd instinct" in parliament. 
• A snap YouGov poll found that defence minister Ben Wallace was the favourite among Conservative Party members to replace Johnson, followed by junior trade minister Penny Mordaunt and former finance minister Rishi Sunak. 
• Johnson's office said he made clear at a meeting of his new cabinet on Thursday that the government would not seek to implement new policies or make major changes of direction, and major fiscal decisions should be left for the next leader.

(Source: Reuters)