Daniel McConnell: Boris Johnson is not a normal prime minister, and his days are numbered

Johnson's authority over his party and the country he leads has been diminishing

British health secretary Sajid Javid, prime minister Boris Johnson, and chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak. Given the two resignations, the question is whether Johnson can maintain his position or limp on to his inevitable demise. Picture: PA

In normal times, for normal prime ministers, a double resignation from two of the most senior ministers in government would be enough to trigger their downfall.

Boris Johnson is not normal.

He is a liar, a cad, and a serial cheat.

Despite countless scandals, gaffes, and outrageous U-turns from Johnson, he has managed to survive, defying logic and precedent.

Many have pointed out that he has clung to power even since 41% of his MPs voted against him less than a month ago.

Equally, it has been noted that he and his cronies such as Jacob Rees-Mogg had called for his predecessor Theresa May to resign even when she won a motion of confidence by a much greater margin.

Since he became British prime minister, his personal style and demeanour have been in question and his authority over his party and the country he leads has been diminishing.

For a short while on Tuesday evening, the double resignation of Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid in quick succession made it seem that the end of Johnson was imminent.

Both their resignation statements spoke of the importance of honesty and integrity in high office and made clear they could no longer stomach Johnson’s lack of either attribute.

While Sunak accepted he could well have ended his ministerial career, there is a strong sense he has merely launched his leadership campaign to succeed Johnson.

As the evening wore on, a number of Johnson’s key loyalists such as Priti Patel, Liz Truss, and Michael Gove came out and made clear they were not going anywhere.

The big question

The big question is that if Johnson is to continue, can he actually maintain his position or will he limp on to his inevitable demise.

The latter appears more likely.

But the entire Chris Pincher affair is just the latest crisis Johnson has brought upon himself and has further eroded the few remaining shreds of credibility he had left.

In Dublin, officially there was silence on the pace of events in London, but privately there is considerable hope that Johnson’s days are numbered.

As Tánaiste Leo Varadkar made clear on RTÉ radio earlier on Tuesday, Johnson’s government has all but stopped negotiating with the EU over the Brexit protocol since February.

Varadkar and Simon Coveney have been visceral in their criticism of the UK in public and have admitted that relations between London and Dublin are at their lowest ebb for almost 30 years.

Dublin and Brussels both lay the blame for that collapse in the relationship at Johnson’s door and nowhere else.

The truth and Johnson, on the Brexit front, have been rare and distant bedfellows and Johnson and his despicable Tory cronies have done enormous damage to their country’s international standing.

There is a clear sense that Ireland and the EU have taken a view, as they did with Theresa May, to wait Johnson out and hope his successor will be more reasonable and actually in a position to resolve the current impasse.

Johnson’s days appear numbered and the Irish Government will be perfectly happy to see him go.