UKFormer United Kingdom Prime Minister, Boris Johnson who stepped down from the Prime Minister post the previous year and resigned from the Member of Parliament’s (MP) post earlier this year; has made up his mind about hosting the GB show. He will work for the news channel as a presenter, programme maker and commentator.
He will “play a key role” in coverage of the UK and US elections next year and will host a series “showcasing the power of Britain around the world”, the broadcaster said. He pledged to share his “unvarnished views” on a range of topics. Johnson, who also writes a column for the Daily Mail, will start in the new year.
He is the latest Conservative politician to join the broadcaster, following former Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg, party deputy chairman Lee Anderson, and husband-and-wife MPs Esther McVey and Philip Davies.
GB News
Why did Boris Johnson resign from the PM’s post?
THE CHRIS PINCHER AFFAIR :
On Wednesday 29 June, the MP Chris Pincher – at the time, the Conservative deputy chief whip – went to a private members’ club in London. In his words, he “drank far too much” and embarrassed himself”. He was accused of groping two men, which led to a flurry of allegations, some dating back years. It set off a chain of events that ended with the prime minister’s downfall.
First, Downing Street said Mr Johnson was not aware of “specific allegations” about Mr Pincher before appointing him as deputy chief whip in February. Ministers later reiterated this line – even though it turned out to be inaccurate. On 4 July, the BBC reported Mr Johnson had been aware of a formal complaint. The next day, a former civil servant – Lord McDonald – said the prime minister had been told of the complaint in person. Mr. Johnson then admitted he had been told in 2019, and apologised for appointing Mr Pincher as deputy chief whip.
BORIS JOHNSON AND CHRIS PINCHER. CREDITS : SKY NEWS.
What was the partygate scandal?
In April this year, the prime minister was penalised for breaching the lockdown regulations after attending a gathering on his birthday in June 2020.
He also apologised for going to a “bring your own booze” party in the Downing Street garden during the first lockdown.
More widely, the Metropolitan Police issued 126 fines to 83 people for breaking lockdown rules in Downing Street and Whitehall. And a report by Sue Gray – a senior civil servant – described a series of social events by political staff that broke lockdown rules.
“The senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility for this culture,” she wrote. Last December, Mr Johnson told the Commons that “all guidance was followed completely in No 10”. He is now being investigated by a Commons committee over whether he intentionally deceived the Parliament.
CREDITS : WION
CREDITS : WION
THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS – AND A TAX RISE :
Inflation has risen sharply in 2022, to the current of 9.2%. Many of the reasons were outside Boris Johnson’s control. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, for example, has led to rises in oil prices and the cost of food.
And, while the government has taken some steps – for example, by cutting fuel duty by 5p per litre – it also went ahead with a tax appraisal in April of last year. National Insurance went up by 1.25 pence in the pound.
The government said the tax rise would pay for health and social care, and changes that kicked in this week softened the impact – but anyone earning more than £34,000 a year will still pay more.
Boris Johnson won his thumping majority on the back of a clear, easy-to-follow policy – Get Brexit Done. But since then, his critics said, there was a lack of focus and ideas in Downing Street.
His ex-adviser turned chief critic, Dominic Cummings, repeatedly accused him of being an out-of-control shopping trolley, veering from position to position. Others questioned the prime minister’s philosophy – or, indeed, if he had one. In June, Conservative MP and former minister Jeremy Hunt accused Mr Johnson of lacking ‘integrity, competence and vision’.
Mr Hunt was speaking before a confidence vote, which Mr Johnson won – but the complaints were getting louder. The by-election defeats kept knocking his doors. After the latest, Mr Johnson said he would not undergo a “psychological transformation”.
CREDITS : TOI
Is this a fresh start for Boris Johnson?
He becomes the latest big name to join GB News and follows comedian and actor John Cleese, whose 10-part current affairs series is due to begin on Sunday. Johnson is expected to give the channel a boost after their ‘turbulent’ period.
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