UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced his departure from office following a record number of ministerial resignations. As data compiled by the Institute for Government shows, dozens of ministers have resigned since Tuesday, as Johnson’s mishandling of a sexual misconduct case within the party has come to light.
As our chart shows, the number of resignations under Johnson in the past days far outstrips the pace of other UK prime ministers of recent history. Theresa May, Johnson’s predecessor, also saw the number of ministers resign from their posts shoot up in her last months in office.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak were two of the most senior government ministers to resign this week. A “minister” in the UK encompasses several ranks within the government, running from the prime minister down to parliamentary under secretaries. According to the Institute for Government, there are 109 ministerial posts in the UK government, with Johnson seeing 63 sackings and resignations of them during approximately 1,000 days in office.
Other UK Prime Ministers, like John Major, Tony Blair or David Cameron saw far fewer resignations during the first four years in office. Their time as parliament leaders extends beyond the four year mark, however, each with additional resignations being noted beyond the presented chart. Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher didn’t have any resignations until her third year in office, with one firing also occurring at the two-year mark.
