The scandals kept coming, and the poll numbers kept dropping. At some point, the noise becomes too loud for a politician to continue doing their job. That reality finally hit United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who announced his resignation on Thursday.
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, a look at why Boris Johnson is leaving the U.K.’s top political post and who he could be replaced by. Plus, a look at what Zander has been reading over the past week. Additionally included is a recap of the top news and sports headlines from the seven days.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Episode 69 features a look at some of the latest Supreme Court cases that should grab your attention. Cases on climate change and gun control are discussed, but most importantly, a case that could fundamentally alter how elections are conducted in the United States. Download and listen to the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Zander’s Weekend Facts is here to give you the facts about what has been going on in the world around us this past week. You’ll just have to read these facts, instead of listening to them on the Zander’s Facts podcast.
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, July 10, 2022:
Boris Johnson out as Britain’s Prime Minister
As the weight of numerous scandals continued to mount, it finally became too much for the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to handle. Boris Johnson, who has served as the U.K. Prime Minister since July 2019, announced he will soon leave his position. On Thursday, Johnson announced that he has stepped down as the leader of Britain’s Conservative Party. When the Conservative Party elects a new leader, they will replace Johnson as the next prime minister.
Johnson took over as prime minister in the summer of 2019 after former PM Theresa May failed to negotiate a deal with the European Union as the U.K. was leaving the government bloc. Johnson was riding high at the time, with his Conservative Party winning a record-breaking 80-seat majority in Parliament, and a future in Britain that looked dominant for the Conservatives. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.
While Johnson was able to negotiate a deal with the E.U., his successive failures raged to the forefront of British minds. Johnson spent much more money than allocated to the Prime Minister for the refurbishment of 10 Downing Street, where the British PM resides. It was found earlier this year that while the U.K. was under lockdowns to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Johnson threw multiple parties at Downing Street in 2020. Then, it was revealed in the last few weeks that Johnson appointed Chris Pincher into his government despite knowing of past sexual misconduct allegations.
After all the scandals that embroiled Johnson’s tenure, and there are many more than what was mentioned, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The resignations from cabinet members began and did not stop until Johnson announced he would relent to pressure attempting to oust him. In total, over 50 members of Johnson’s government resigned this past week, including finance minister Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid.
As members of Johnson’s government kept leaving, it became apparent what needed to happen. Despite the fact that Johnson had vowed earlier in the week to stay on as PM, the Conservative Party was reportedly preparing to oust him as leader on Monday. Johnson beat them out with his Thursday announcement but noted that his resignation is not imminent. Johnson says he will stay on as prime minister until a replacement is appointed by the Conservative Party. A move that many believe could be damaging not just to the party, but also to the government.
While many in Britain are happy to see Johnson’s days as PM coming to end, many in Ukraine are not. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said of Johnson’s announcement, “all Ukrainians were saddened by the news.” While Johnson’s rhetoric domestically has been in shambles, he led the western charge in defending Ukraine after Russia invaded the sovereign nation in February. Now, many worldwide, including Ukraine, fear that Johnson’s successor may not be as keen on assisting the struggling Eastern European nation.
Speaking of Johnson’s successor, the Conservative Party will be choosing the next PM, as the Tories currently hold the majority in the British Parliament. Over the next few weeks, members of the party will vote on who should replace Johnson. A new YouGov poll was released on Wednesday that polled members of the Conservative Party on their preferences for the next prime minister. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace emerged as the frontrunner but has since ruled himself out of contention. Other top candidates included the aforementioned Sunak, who did launch a bid to become a candidate, trade minister Penny Mordaunt, and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.
Another YouGov poll released on Friday showed the Conservatives polling at just 29% when respondents were asked which party they would vote for right now. That is 11 points behind the left-leaning Labour Party, which hasn’t held the prime minister role since 2010. However, unless the next prime minister calls for a snap election, parliamentary elections will not be held in the U.K. until 2025. That is, unless a no-confidence vote is held and succeeds in parliament, which is currently being proposed by the Labour Party. If a no-confidence vote went through against Johnson, that would trigger new elections.
In any case, Boris Johnson’s time as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is officially coming to an end. At least he isn’t contesting the results of an election and attempting to illegally hold on to power and overthrow the government, that we know of…
For more information on Johnson’s resignation: Washington Post - Boris Johnson blames ‘the herd,’ resigns to make way for new U.K. leader
What Zander’s been reading this week
This week’s featured section features two articles worth your while.
Featured article number one revisits a computer simulation conducted in 1972 that predicted an end to civilization if current human activities continued at an unsustainable rate. The model’s findings were published in the 1972 book, The Limits to Growth. To discuss the novel and its impact 50 years later, WIRED interviewed Carlos Alvarez Pereira, the Vice President of the Club of Rome (which published the original book) and co-editor of the new book that looks back at the original, Limits and Beyond: 50 Years on From The Limits to Growth, What Did We Learn and What’s Next?
Check out featured article number one in WIRED - The Infamous 1972 Report That Warned of Civilization's Collapse — (Link for article on Apple News)
Featured article number two takes a look back at one of the few successful takeovers of an incumbent sports league. On the heels of LIV Golf’s challenge to the PGA Tour, Front Office Sports revisits the events that allowed IndyCar, then the Indy Racing League, to leapfrog over Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) and claim dominance in American open-wheel racing back in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Check out featured number two in Front Office Sports - ‘The Split’: How a Maverick Launched IndyCar and Outlived Its Rival
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here is the latest from Zander’s Facts Sporting Club:
The Championships, Wimbledon, widely regarded as the most prestigious tournament in tennis, concludes its 2022 edition today. The Gentlemen’s Final will begin this morning at 9:00 am et on ESPN. Novak Djokovic, who is appearing in a record 32nd grand slam final, will take on Nick Kyrgios, who is making his first appearance in a grand slam final. Djokovic took down the home country's favorite Cameron Norrie in the semifinals, while Kyrgios’ opponent in the semis, Rafael Nadal, had to pull out of the competition due to an injury. Yesterday, the Ladies’ Final took place between Elena Rybakina and Ons Jabeur, both of whom were making their first appearance in a grand slam final. Rybakina won the match in three sets, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, to become the lowest-seeded winner of the Ladies’ Final at Wimbledon since 2007.
The U.S. Women’s National Team has qualified for the 2023 World Cup. In the CONCACAF W Championship, the U.S. has advanced to the semifinals of the competition, meaning they have clinched one of four CONCACAF spots for the next women’s World Cup. The U.S. has won the last two World Cups, and this will be the first women’s World Cup to feature 32 teams. Costa Rica and Canada have also clinched spots in next year’s World Cup. The U.S. have defeated Haiti 3-0 and Jamaica 5-0 so far in the group stage, with a final group stage match against Mexico set for Monday at 10:00 pm et on Paramount+. The winner of the CONCACAF W Championship will clinch CONCACAF’s lone spot in the 2024 Olympics.
Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has been traded to the Carolina Panthers. Mayfield’s relationship with the Browns had deteriorated in the last few months, especially after the team traded for his replacement, Deshaun Watson. Watson is unlikely to see the field anytime soon as the NFL prepares to suspend him for being named in several sexual assault allegations. Mayfield, the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft will now compete for the starting quarterback job with the third pick in that same draft, Sam Darnold.
In the wake of another round of collegiate conference realignment, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Pac-12 Conference are reportedly discussing a potential partnership. The Pac-12 is seeking its next steps after two flagship schools, UCLA and USC, announced they would leave the conference for the Big Ten Conference. The ACC, meanwhile, is stuck in a long-term media rights deal with ESPN that will pay its schools significantly lower than those in the ACC and Big Ten. The reports have mainly focused on a television partnership that would seek to raise the revenue of schools in both conferences. Additionally, many schools in the Pac-12 have been rumored to be negotiating with the Big 12 Conference on joining the league.
Former British soccer star Wayne Rooney is reportedly considering a return to MLS. This time as a coach, not a player. Multiple reports from British sources say Rooney could return to the United States as the manager of D.C. United, the club he played for from 2017-2018. The reports from British outlets were confirmed on Friday by ESPN and the Washington Post. D.C. fired manager Hernán Losada just six games into the current season, and the club has been on a downward trend under interim manager Chad Ashton. D.C. is currently at the bottom of the table in the Eastern Conference and lost 7-0 to Philadelphia Union on Friday night, tied for the largest scoring margin in MLS history. Rooney previously served as the manager of Championship-side Derby County in England. He resigned as club boss after the end of the season, when the club was relegated to the third division of English football.
Rapid-fire Facts
Here are the top headlines from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and killed while giving a speech on Friday. Abe served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 2006-2007 and from 2012-2020, the longest-serving Prime Minister in Japanese history. The attack has shaken Japan and the world, not just because of the assassination of a former powerful world leader, but also because of the use of a gun. Japan has some of the strictest gun laws in the world. However, the assailant used a homemade weapon, according to police.
President Biden signed an executive order on Friday as a response to the recent Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The order is an effort to expand access to abortion pills, along with emergency medical care, family planning services, and contraception. The order’s immediate effect is unclear, but Biden used the signing ceremony to once again attack the Supreme Court’s decision to not recognize abortion as a constitutional right. Next week, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on a bill codifying the right to an abortion. It is not expected to pass the Senate, where it would need 60 votes without the removal of the filibuster.
Former chairman and CEO of WWE Vince McMahon paid over $12 million to four women in order to keep them quiet regarding sexual assault allegations they had against McMahon, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. WSJ reports that all of the women signed non-disclosure agreements, which prohibits them from discussing the allegations. McMahon stepped down from his posts atop World Wrestling Entertainment less than one month ago as the company investigated the allegations.
The U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol is set to resume its public hearings next week. The hearings, scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday, will be the first since the surprise hearing featuring former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony that revealed shocking new information regarding the leadup and actions taken on January 6, 2021. It is possible that Thursday’s hearing will be the committee’s last before an interim report is released, and will be broadcast in primetime. The committee privately interviewed former White House council Pat Cipolloni, whose name was mentioned repeatedly in the last committee hearing, on Friday.
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and leader of SpaceX and Tesla, announced on Friday that he is backing out of an agreement to purchase social media platform Twitter. Ever since the agreement was announced back in April, many were skeptical that Musk would actually follow through on the deal. The agreement featured a $1 billion payout from Musk to Twitter if Musk backed out. However, Twitter’s board has said that it will fight to enforce the agreement, potentially with legal action. Musk argues that Twitter did not comply with the terms laid out in the agreement.
Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to Episode 69, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Zander’s Facts’ Linktree page for more on anything Zander’s Facts related: Zander's Facts on Linktree
Did you know that you can now listen to the Zander’s Facts podcast on this site? It’s true! All episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast are now available on zandersfacts.substack.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment. That includes the next new episode of the podcast, Episode 70, which comes out this Wednesday!
Remember to check out the next edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts next Sunday! If you haven’t already, make sure to sign up with the link below to get Zander’s Weekend Facts in your email inbox every Sunday so you don’t miss anything!
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The Facts in print return next Sunday, July 17, 2022.