AW NUTS!  GOODBYE TO A FRIEND:  Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a great friend of the United States, has resigned from Parliament, after facing a series of charges.  I know nothing of the charges, but we in America should appreciate a man who, however eccentric, was firmly in the freedom corner.  From AP:

LONDON (AP) — Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson shocked Britain on Friday by quitting as a lawmaker after being told he will be sanctioned for misleading Parliament. He departed with a ferocious tirade at his political opponents — and at his successor, Rishi Sunak — that could blast open tensions within the governing Conservative Party.

Johnson resigned after receiving the results of an investigation by lawmakers into misleading statements he made to Parliament about “partygate,” a series of rule-breaking government parties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a lengthy resignation statement, Johnson accused opponents of trying to drive him out — and hinted that his rollercoaster political career might not be over yet.

“It is very sad to be leaving Parliament — at least for now,” he said.
Johnson, 58, said he had “received a letter from the Privileges Committee making it clear — much to my amazement — that they are determined to use the proceedings against me to drive me out of Parliament.”

He called the committee investigating him — which has members from both government and opposition parties — a “kangaroo court.”

“Their purpose from the beginning has been to find me guilty, regardless of the facts,” Johnson said.

The resignation will trigger a special election to replace Johnson as a lawmaker for a suburban London seat in the House of Commons.

Johnson, whose career has seen a series of scandals and comebacks, led the Conservatives to a landslide victory in 2019 but was forced out by his own party less than three years later.

He had been awaiting the outcome of an investigation by a House of Commons standards committee over misleading statements he made to Parliament about a slew of gatherings in government buildings in 2020 and 2021 that breached pandemic lockdown rules.

COMMENT:  I do wish some of the people on our side around the world would be a bit better behaved.  It's not a good thing to provide the political enemy with ammunition.  On the other hand, one delights in some of the great conservative personalities in Britain that we've enjoyed over the decades, including Winston Churchill and Boris Johnson. 

They used to say that Democrats have more fun.  I really doubt it today.   

June 10,  2023