At least four more ministers deserted British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday, saying he is no longer fit to be in charge after a series of scandals.
Dozens in his Conservative Party are also in open revolt.
But Johnson was defiantly hanging onto power on Thursday despite all the resignations, the unstoppable revolt by his own lawmakers, and signs of paralysis in his government.
Britain’s minister for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, was among the four ministers who announced their resignation on Thursday.
He said he no longer believed the values of honesty, integrity and mutual respect were being upheld by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government.
Lewis joined around 50 politicians who have quit government positions in the last two days in an effort to force Johnson out of power.
Helen Whately, a junior treasury minister, also quit on Thursday, along with security minister Damian Hinds.
Hinds said the country needed Prime Minister Boris Johnson to go in order to restore trust in our democracy.
“More important than any government or leader are the standards we uphold in public life and faith in our democracy and public administration,” Hinds said in his resignation letter to Johnson.
“Because of the serious erosion in these, I have come to the conclusion that the right thing for our country and for our party is for you to stand down as party leader and prime minister.”
Guy Opperman, a British junior minister who oversees pensions, also resigned on Thursday, saying the unwillingness of Prime Minister Boris Johnson to quit had left him no choice.
British junior culture minister Chris Philp resigned as well, and asked Johnson to quit over a series of scandals that have dogged his administration.
