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Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Is this the end of Boris Johnson?
Boris Johnson is out of British political life for the first time in more than 20 years after announcing on Friday that he’s giving up his parliamentary seat and resigning from the House of Commons effective immediately.
Johnson took this preemptive step after seeing the results of Parliament’s privilege committee investigation that accused him of lying to parliament over the “partygate” scandal. The committee comprised of four Conservative and three Labour MPs was reportedly set to recommend that the former PM be banned from the chamber for 20 days – though the report has not yet been made public.
This recommendation would have led to a by-election if 10% of voters in Johnson’s constituency backed the move. Given Johnson’s deep unpopularity, this was all but a sure thing, and he quit in a huff – decrying the “witch hunt” on his way out – rather than risk being shown the door.
It’s a startling fall from grace for a man who, in 2019, inherited the biggest parliamentary majority since the 1970s, only to squander it by breaking his own COVID lockdown rules and lying about it repeatedly. Still, Johnson has left open the possibility of another political run, though he would have to find a new seat to run in. (His current seat will almost certainly flip to Labour.)
What does this mean for the Conservative Party? PM Rishi Sunak, a Johnson rival, said that he backs the parliamentary committee’s work. But even though Sunak will undoubtedly be glad to see the back of Johnson’s shaggy head, this drama – Johnson called the committee a “kangaroo court” – is a distraction the PM doesn’t want, particularly after he’s spent the past year trying to convince voters that the days of petty Tory Party infighting are over.
What’s more, two other Tory MPs and Johnson allies also resigned Friday over a separate matter, meaning that the Conservative Party will now face three tough by-elections next month.
This development, however, is unlikely to have a significant impact on broader politics considering that the Labour Party is pummeling the Tories in the polls and is expected to maintain this edge in the lead-up to next year’s election.Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a reception at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia March 21, 2023.
What We're Watching: Russia strikes Ukraine amid dueling wartime trips, Boris Johnson’s ‘Partygate’ showdown, Israeli settlements U-turn
After Xi-Putin summit, Moscow strikes Ukraine
Over the past few days, Vladimir Putin pulled out all the stops to entertain his "good old friend" Xi Jinping in Moscow, during what was perhaps the most geopolitically significant bilateral summit of the year so far.
Seven-course dinner — check. Insanely long red carpet at the Kremlin — check. Putin doing Xi the rare courtesy of showing up on time — check.
But beyond the pomp, ничего особенного (nothing much). The summit ended with a joint press conference featuring boilerplate statements about Sino-Russian cooperation. There was no mention of China potentially supplying arms to Russia, and no call for a ceasefire in Ukraine, although Putin did say that Xi's peace plan could be a first step toward a negotiated settlement “once the West and Kyiv are ready for it."
But then right after Xi's visit on Wednesday, the Kremlin launched fresh drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, killing at least four people in a residential area outside Kyiv.
While President Volodymyr Zelensky has so far tried to remain open to Beijing's intervention, he tweeted that "every time someone tries to hear the word 'peace' in Moscow, another order is given there for such criminal strikes."
Is Putin feeling emboldened? From Putin's perspective, a visit from Xi, who’s been something of a homebody himself since the pandemic, lets Putin show that although the US and its allies have blackballed him, he is still far from isolated globally – and that the Russia-China friendship “without limits” is an axis of power Washington has to reckon with.
We're watching to see how — or if — Beijing responds to the latest onslaught that comes on the heels of Xi's whirlwind diplomacy.
Kishida in Kyiv
All things considered, it’s not surprising that Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida went to Ukraine to visit President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday. Kishida was the only leader of a G7 nation that hadn’t yet made the trip, and Japan is chairing the group’s summit in Hiroshima in May. But it is striking when he chose to visit and where he traveled while there.
Arriving in Kyiv on a day when Chinese President Xi Jinping was visiting Vladimir Putin in Moscow was striking. Kishida also visited a mass grave in the town of Bucha to pay respects to the Ukrainian victims of alleged Russian war crimes, offering a none-too-subtle comment on Putin’s recent indictment by the International Criminal Court.
Japan’s foreign ministry said the trip underscored Kishida’s "absolute rejection of Russia's one-sided change to the status quo by invasion and force.” It also follows last week's dramatic breakthrough in Japan’s relations with South Korea, another move signaling that, while Japan must continue to carefully balance its relations with China, Kishida will be more assertive and outspoken on foreign policy than most of Japan’s recent prime ministers.
Could this be the end for Boris Johnson?
Boris is back … in the news! On Wednesday, the former British PM will appear before the parliamentary Privileges Committee to determine whether he deliberately lied to parliament over the Partygate saga. Recap: That’s when Downing Street hosted a string of parties (including some attended by the PM) while millions of Britons were subject to strict COVID lockdowns.
What happens now? It’s up to the committee, made up of MPs from three political parties, to decide how to proceed. It could decide that Johnson didn’t mislead parliament, which is unlikely given the trail of evidence. But even if it judges that he did, punishments could vary. Best case scenario? He’s given a wrist slap. Worst case? He’s suspended from parliament.
But wait, there's more! If the suspension is for more than 10 days, it'll trigger a recall vote in Johnson's district, which only requires 10% of ballots to pass. And that in turn will be followed by a by-election for the same seat ... in which Boris can still run!
What does this mean for the Tories? The rank-and-file is divided between diehard Boris fans, who want Johnson to make another bid for the top job, and those who think he’s a political liability. Either way, it’s bad timing for PM Rishi Sunak, who is trying very hard to convince Britons that the wildly unpopular Conservative Party is more than an agent of chaos.
Israeli government’s settlement policy shift
The far-right Israeli government, a magnet for controversy in recent weeks, has just reversed a 2005 law that ordered the dismantling of four settlements in the northern West Bank.
The Israeli army will no longer have the power to forcibly remove settlers from these areas. (In 2005, former PM Ariel Sharon unilaterally disengaged from settlements in the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank in a move that right-wing ideologues deemed an injustice.)
Tuesday’s move – which the US said it was “extremely troubled” by before the State Department summoned Israel's ambassador to express its dismay – will legalize construction at these outposts, one of which had previously been deemed private Palestinian land by Israel’s High Court. Many right-wing and religious Jews believe that the West Bank is part of greater Israel, according to the Old Testament, and that Jews have a responsibility to settle on the land. Conversely, land seized by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967 is deemed occupied Palestinian territory, according to international law.
Critics say the recent government decision will lead to more violence in the West Bank and is a step towards illegal annexation.
This comes after Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich created a firestorm this week by saying “there is no such thing as a Palestinian people” while standing in front of a map of so-called greater Israel that included … Jordan. (The Hashemite Kingdom, with which Israel has enjoyed a cold peace since 1994, was not pleased.)
Amid fears that the government’s actions are endangering the Abraham Accords, a senior delegation from the United Arab Emirates is set to meet in Jerusalem with President Isaac Herzog to voice its concerns over recent events.
Boris Johnson's new job?
The ousted PM has mouths to feed,. But after his exit in disgrace from Downing Street, what’s his next gig going to be?
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British PM Boris Johnson looking frazzled.
What We're Watching: Johnson faces moment of truth, Russia hits Kyiv, Summit of the Americas kicks off
Will Boris Johnson survive confidence vote?
Conservative lawmakers on Monday dealt a massive blow to British PM Boris Johnson by triggering a no-confidence vote that could remove him from the top job after nearly three years in office. Johnson’s popularity, both among the British electorate and within his own Conservative Party, has been waning for months, in large part because of the ongoing Partygate saga, which saw Downing Street repeatedly host rowdy parties in violation of COVID lockdown rules while Brits were often hit with fines for minor indiscretions. Earlier this year, Johnson became the first-ever British PM to be fined for breaking the law. The growing cost-of-living crisis has also hurt him: Johnson’s approval rating has plunged to a dismal 26% – a remarkable drop from the 66% he enjoyed at the beginning of the pandemic. In a sign of growing public disdain for the PM, he and his wife Carrie were booed at a recent event marking the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. So, what happens now? On Monday evening, Conservative legislators in the House of Commons will vote on whether to remove the PM from office. A simple majority – 180 Tory MPs – will need to back the motion to end his tenure as PM. But even if he prevails, Johnson will emerge a diminished figure in British politics. Will the perennial comeback kid survive again?
Russia strikes Kyiv, Putin threatens the West
Hours after President Vladimir Putin warned that Russia would hit new targets in Ukraine if the West continued to arm Kyiv with long-range armaments, Moscow appeared to make good on its threat. Kyiv was targeted by missiles on Sunday, the first time the capital has seen airstrikes since April. The strikes appeared to be aimed at tanks Russia claimed were donated by the West, and at railways and other transport infrastructure that might be used to ship western weapons to Ukrainian fighters stationed in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, the current flashpoint of the war. This escalation comes just days after the US pledged an additional $700 million in military aid to Ukraine, including precision-guided, medium-range rocket systems, helicopters, and Javelin anti-tank missiles. As heavy fighting continued in the industrial city of Sievierodonetsk, the last Ukrainian-held enclave in the eastern Luhansk region, both sides claimed they were making gains, but the UK military said that Ukrainian fighters are “likely blunting the operational momentum” of Russian forces. Meanwhile, far from the battlefield, Ukraine’s spirited soccer team lost a heartbreaker to Wales, 1-0, in a World Cup qualifier in Cardiff. In a strange twist of fate, it was an own goal that sealed their loss.
An elephant at the Summit of the Americas
Starting Monday, the US is hosting the Summit of the Americas — the Western Hemisphere's biggest political event — for the first time since 1994. We'll be keeping an eye on three things. First, who will show up for the Los Angeles-based event? To date, disagreements over the guest list have overshadowed the event. Several leaders, including Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, have not yet RSVP'd because the Biden administration declined to invite socialist autocracies Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Second, what will be discussed? The agenda, mostly focused on migration, appears somewhat light compared to the recent US push to win back friends in Asia with concrete proposals like the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. Many Latin American countries, feeling snubbed by the Asia-focused US in recent years, had been hoping Washington would announce new trade investment initiatives. Third, the big elephant in the room: China. For years, Beijing has been doling out cash to Latin American states to gain influence and access to key commodities in the region, and it has signed up some 20 Latin American countries to its signature Belt and Road Initiative. Last December, China organized its own (virtual) LatAm summit without a hitch, and Beijing would love the no-shows to turn the LA event into a diplomatic embarrassment for President Joe Biden.People react after the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
What We're Watching: Texas mourns, Boris caught red-handed, lethal weapons sent to Ukraine, China’s human rights abuses leaked
Will Texas school shooting move the needle on US guns debate?
Another mass shooting has rocked America, leaving 21 dead (19 of them children) at an elementary school in Texas on Tuesday — the second-worst school massacre in US history after Sandy Hook almost a decade ago. “When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?” President Joe Biden said in a nationwide address. “Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen?” For one thing, stricter gun laws are vehemently opposed by most Republicans: Texas Sen. Ted Cruz controversially responded to the tragedy by calling for more armed law enforcement at schools. For another, 2nd Amendment die-hards like the National Rifle Association have deep pockets to fight legislation and fund campaigns (Cruz, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and former President Donald Trump are all slated to speak Friday at the NRA's annual conference in Houston). If a bipartisan gun bill failed to pass in 2013 in the aftermath of Sandy Hook, the odds are even longer now because US politics is even more polarized and we're less than six months out from the November midterms.
Booze might bring down Boris
Will a toast burn down Boris Johnson’s premiership? The British PM has long denied that he broke any of his country’s strict pandemic lockdown rules, but now photos have emerged of a party at his residence on November 13, 2020, in which Johnson is holding up a glass of what looks like booze near a table spread with wine and food. The timing could prove disastrous for Johnson: the photos dropped just a day before the planned release of the Gray Report, an official investigation of the so-called “partygate” scandal. PMs who knowingly mislead Parliament are expected to resign, though there’s no guarantee that Johnson will concede to any wrongdoing of that sort. His supporters say he didn’t knowingly lie. Once Sue Gray publishes her report, Johnson will again address parliament on the matter, Downing Street says.
The West’s lethal weapons arrive in Ukraine
The US and Europe are playing an increasingly active role in Ukraine’s defense against Russia. They’ve imposed historically harsh sanctions against the Russian economy, announced higher spending on defense, and moved to ease trade dependence on Russia. They are also sending increasingly potent weapons to Ukrainian fighters for use against Russian forces. This was the focus of a Monday meeting at the Pentagon of the “Ukraine Contact Group,” a bloc of countries committed to helping Ukraine. After a briefing from Ukraine’s defense minister, more than 20 countries pledged to deliver new “security assistance packages.” The Czech Republic promised attack helicopters, tanks, and rocket systems. Denmark is offering anti-ship Harpoon missiles that might help push back the Russian navy from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, potentially easing the flow of grain exports. Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland, and others are also contributing. There are reports that the US has provided powerful artillery for use in the Donbas, the scene of Ukraine’s fiercest fighting and a place where long-range firepower is invaluable. Ukrainian forces have sustained heavy losses, and it will take weeks to train Ukrainian soldiers to make the best use of these weapons. But as Russia’s Donbas offensive grinds slowly forward, its forces may find additional gains are more costly this summer, and that seized territory may become harder to defend. The Contact Group is scheduled to meet next in Brussels on June 15.
The many faces of China’s human rights abuses
The world has known for years that the Chinese government’s “re-education” and “counter-terrorism” programs in the Xinjiang region involve widespread human rights abuses against the Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim ethnic groups who live there. Now we can see the faces of Beijing’s victims — thousands of them. The BBC has published an archive of local police photos taken in 2018. The release of the archive, which was evidently hacked, coincides with a weeklong visit to China by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, the first trip to the country by the UN’s highest-ranking human rights official since 2005. While her visit is an opportunity to place fresh pressure on Beijing, critics worry that China might take the opportunity to whitewash its abuses (history buffs may recall the trick Nazi Germany played on the Red Cross in 1944). The release of the photo archive could also ripple into the US-China relationship, making it harder for US President Joe Biden to move ahead with any plans to lift Trump-era tariffs on certain Chinese goods in order to tamp down inflation.