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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Resigns; IMF Warns of Surging Inflation in U.K.; Russia's War on Ukraine; Largest Hajj in Two Years Underway. Aired 10-10:40a ET
Aired July 07, 2022 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome everyone. I'm Isa Soares, coming to you from outside Parliament. And, London, there is some music but not much to celebrate if you are Boris Johnson.
Because against his, wishes scandal ridden Boris Johnson has announced he will step down as Britain's prime minister after an exodus of dozens of government ministers. He admitted a short time ago that his position was untenable, and he had to. Go this is what he, said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, U.K. PRIME MINISTER: It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party. Therefore, a new prime minister. I am agreeing with Sir Graham Brady, of the backbench MPs, that the process of choosing that new leader should begin now.
And the timetable will be announced next week. And I have today appointed a cabinet to serve, as I will, until a new leader is in place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Boris Johnson says he will serve until a new leader of the Conservative Party is in place. As you just heard, there. Earlier Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon said the possibility of Johnson staying on as a caretaker PM is far from ideal.
We will be hearing from the team of reporters on this truly momentum day in British politics. Let's go to Bianca Nobilo, who is here.
Bianca, you and I were talking yesterday in terms of what could happen. So much has happened in less than 24 hours. Let me start off the with that speech that we heard from the prime minister, Boris Johnson.
One thing that struck me and I'm sure struck many of us is there is no timeline into who will be the next person, when he will actually step. Down
How much is that worrying some members of his own cabinet?
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: He said had spoken to Graham Brady, the chairman of the '22 committee. They will agree on a timeline to be announced next week.
Even that is causing anxiety amongst the members of the. Party who don't trust him and his political behavior over the last week has been deeply unpredictable. He showed what was verging on a disregard for the democratic process when he had so many cascades of resignations, confronted with polls lower against him as leader. Britons wanted him to resign, maintained that he would stay in place.
Only when it became completely untenable when the public condemnation of his own new chancellor and his new appointees, saying that you cannot serve. You have to go that he actually made the move.
What else struck me in that speech is that it was perhaps slightly more magnanimous than you may have expected from Boris Johnson. He did not sell his legacy in the way that some of us expected, with his usual rhetoric and bombast.
That may have been almost an olive branch to try and say, let me stay in power and I will be responsible leader until somebody else takes over to quell some of that concern. I'm sure you will hear about this throughout the day what he might do, given this summer, involved perhaps by the fact he knows he won't be the prime minister by the end of the year.
SOARES: And if you're just joining, us this is the music that we often tend to get outside here. Bear with us I hope you can still --
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: And this is the party.
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: On your question, back when there is no timeline, I think it's really important.
Do you think this is still Boris, in some way, clinging on?
Because the fact that there was no timeline, the fact that we still had appointments within -- no appointments today, what does this tell you though?
Is he hoping that they would just hang on for that bit longer?
NOBILO: It tells us he definitely does not want to spend its last month as prime minister, as a lame duck prime minister or a de facto caretaker prime minister. He wants to have that authority. He will want to be a statesman on the international stage.
I'm sure he will want to stay with a leading role with the crisis in Ukraine. And we know he wants to make some quite bold economic policy announcements as well. Obviously, it makes potential successors in the party, nervous because there is a split on some of these issues, particularly, economic policy and tax cuts.
So if Johnson declares he wants to do something bold, on the economy and confidence is fragile --
[10:05:00]
NOBILO: -- that could put the successor in a very difficult, position we know that Johnson is likely to want to regain control of his legacy as much as he can. That will look like bold decisions being made in this interim period.
SOARES: There is interesting reports within the British media, which we have not been able to confirm. But those who have taken up some of the new positions, have only accepted those positions on the fact that Boris is going.
If you are, how does he work for the next couple of months, if he is going to resign?
Step down, officially, September, October, what kind of policies can we expect if, of course, he is still in that position?
NOBILO: What that means, those reports -- and I've heard the same. Those were accepting positions, now who are maybe on the fence are likely to feel some of those 50 vacant positions in government will be doing so because they feel a sense of duty and it's obviously been a moment of political crisis and instability for the government, when the stakes are very high.
Economic crisis, brewing cost of living crisis and problems in the health care sector, recovering from COVID. What that might mean is that they are putting Johnson on notice, to say we will join, you we will help support the government so that you can keep the ship sailing.
If you do anything too bold which is something that a prime minister with a true mandate, who has just won an election, should be able to do, then we may well resign again or put more pressure on you.
SOARES: In terms of legislation, though, can he continue to push through any major policy or major legislation?
NOBILO: In order for that to, work he'll need a full whipping operations and obviously one of the scandals that precipitated this crisis and resignation was revolving around the deputy chief whip, Chris Pincher.
And he will need the confidence of his party. Obviously, he does not have authority at the moment. So I think it'll be harder to keep MPs in line especially if they believe he is doing something that might not be of interest of the country, that is self-serving or might make it difficult for a successor to have their own policy agenda. SOARES: This is not about policy, the reason why he is exiting. It is
about character, lack of integrity, lack of trust. This is why he is leaving very different, of course, from I would, say from Theresa May but very different from Margaret Thatcher.
NOBILO: Also very different, In some sense from Theresa May because, it is that issue of personality. I remember Boris as you, know a lifelong fan of the classics. The Latin, quote, meaning what nourishes me also destroys me. He came because of his personality and he's leaving because of his personality.
SOARES: Bianca, thank you very much. We will talk in about half an hour.
So whoever succeeds Boris Johnson will inherit a number of challenges, of course, on the international stage. Johnson has been a key status supporting Ukraine against Russia in what is the biggest war Europe, of course, has seen since World War II.
The U.K. is still embroiled in problems with the Northern Ireland border. CNN's Nic Robertson has a front row seat to all of this. He is at Downing Street for us.
And before we start talking about the problems that whoever takes on will face, talk to me about the mood where you are. You were there and Boris Johnson stepped, down.
What did you make of his speech, Nic?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: You know, in many ways it feels like an atypical Boris Johnson speech, particularly one at such a prime moment You would expect more sort of rhetoric and more sort of historic references, perhaps.
But it seems to be one that was put together quite quickly and under pressure without really sort of time to consider.
You know Johnson does like to, sound a little bit like Churchill at times. There was none of that, here there was no concession to the chaos that he has caused. No accepting of his responsibility.
The takeaway for me, it felt more like a caretaker speech or sort of a placeholder speech because it left so many questions unanswered. The key questions you have been discussing, who will replace him?
What the process will be and how and when that will take place. I think you, know what we have been seeing in the hour since, then and indeed in the past few minutes is what the government is trying to do now.
What Johnson is trying to do now, which is present business as usual, that he is capable of running government. We have seen all of the cabinet members go in through the front door here. One of the last to go in was the attorney general, who already declared on television last night, she is in the running to be the next prime minister as well. She was asked, next time when you come, by will you be prime minister?
She waved and walked in. So there is a sense that, while the cabinet is in session, there are people sitting around the table with Boris Johnson, who have already said very clearly they would like to be the next prime minister.
What we are hearing from the senior party officials is that they need to show continuity. They need to show unity. They need to show that there is no chaos at the moment.
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ROBERTSON: The very fact that former prime minister, John Major is calling into question, that caretaker period for Boris Johnson, Boris Johnson suggesting that potentially this could be quite a long period, the former prime minister John Major saying that that would be unwise.
Suggestions afoot about how the mechanisms to find the next prime minister could be shortened.
SOARES: Yes unwise, untenable really. I think it's echoing some of the voices we've heard so far today. Nic Robertson, outside 10 Downing Street, thank you very much, Nic.
As we've reported, many in Mr. Johnson's party do not want to see him as caretaker prime minister. Among them is George Freeman. He's among the MPs that resigned. In a tweet he said the decent thing for Boris Johnson to do is apologize to the queen and allow her to appoint a caretaker under her ministers' can serve. He joins me now.
Why do you think he should apologize to the queen, George?
GEORGE FREEMAN, BRITISH CONSERVATIVE MP: I think we're in a very serious constitutional crisis, quite a serious mess. This isn't just a minor disruption. The cabinet has collapsed. The responsibility has collapsed. The government has collapsed. Ministers 50 have resigned. This is very serious.
We face very serious challenges internationally and at home. And while the prime minister has got much that he can be proud of, his instincts on Brexit, on the pandemic, and Ukraine where right. This is a crisis. I just don't see how he's going to be able to command the authority to take the big decisions that need to be taken this summer.
Not in four months, the summer, on international diplomacy, on the economy, here. His chancellor has already said he doesn't have any confidence in him.
How does that work?
So I don't see any alternative, really, other than a caretaker who won't want to be prime minister, who can command the temporary authority of the cabinet, get us through the summer, while we choose the right leader going forward.
SOARES: I don't mean any disrespect but the writing had been on the wall for some time.
Do you think members of hour party should take some form of responsibility for some of the mishaps, the crises that the country has seen?
(CROSSTALK)
FREEMAN: Yes, we should take total responsibility. My conservatism is based on the notion of responsibility taken, particularly, taken by those with privilege and given. That's what distinguishes the Conservative Party from other parties.
So we absolutely have to take responsibility. The prime minister has to take responsibility. I'm pleased he has today but I think we have to recognize the scale of the crisis. We have to restore public trust fast.
We have to tackle the big problems, quickly. I don't see how he's going to be able to do that this summer, with the authority that's disappeared.
SOARES: You don't think he can restore the Conservative -- restore trust, of course, with the prime minister still being at 10 Downing Street?
So hands tied, what else can you do here?
We don't know, we don't have an idea of time. We don't know how long he'll stay on. He didn't give us any notice, today, when he spoke.
How challenging is that for members of your own party?
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FREEMAN: I think it's very clear, I think we need to make clear that the prime minister, sadly, isn't in a position to put together a government for the next few months. I think we need a caretaker prime minister, who can see us through these three months while we go through the process properly of choosing a new leader and testing him properly.
My worry is that the government is unstable. It could create pressure for us here quickly in a febrile hot July, smoke filled room, crown somebody in a hurry. And get it wrong again. And we can't do that, we need to take this summer to test our future leaders properly around the country.
SOARES: Are you hearing anything as to what that timeframe might be like?
FREEMAN: The timeframe is obvious. If we were to pick a caretaker --
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: I'm talking about how long Boris Johnson -- you said next week, give us a rough idea of time, right? Talking about autumn -- do you have any sense in terms of days?
FREEMAN: You can't really consult the whole Conservative Party membership on leadership until you've got two candidates. That will take us a week or 10 days, here. Then they need to go around the country and speak and be presented properly.
And results in September. If it was a quiet year and there wasn't much going on, internationally, fine. I think nobody would begrudge the prime minister a summer of transition.
But that's not the situation. We're in a very critical geopolitical emergency, war in Europe, a savage invasion of Ukraine, huge international pressures, massive economic pressures at home and the cabinet have to take some big decisions. I don't see how he's going to be able to do that this summer.
SOARES: If he doesn't budge, what else can you do?
[10:15:00]
SOARES: Is there something the committee -- can you get together --
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FREEMAN: -- cabinet --
SOARES: -- right --
FREEMAN: -- cabinet collective responsibility. And I'm quite surprised to see cabinet ministers happy to continue with what I fear, I hope I'm proved wrong but I fear it's going to be back on Monday, where we were on Thursday. Impossible to command the authority to take any decisions.
SOARES: Very quickly, because I know you have to go, have you been hearing anything from any of your European counterparts?
Are they worried about, exactly this, this moment of transition?
It's quite questionable, at this time?
FREEMAN: (INAUDIBLE)?
SOARES: Have you heard from anyone in the European Union?
FREEMAN: European Union?
SOARES: Yes.
FREEMAN: No, other than that I've been negotiating a 15 billion pound science package --
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FREEMAN: -- and one of the biggest problems in any of these negotiations, tragically, is that trust in the prime minister's word has become so eroded. And these ministers are unable to go to bat for Britain.
Sadly, I wish we weren't here. But I don't see how today's resignation speech solves that problem. I fear ministers next week will resign, because I don't think it's tenable. I hope I'm wrong but I fear we will be back into instability.
The country needs stability. I think a caretaker prime minister, there's several candidates who can do, it would bring some stability. It would allow us to get through the summer, governing properly, while we choose a leader for the next stage.
SOARES: George, we appreciate it, thank you so much for coming.
Now we have to take a very quick break. More on the fallout from Boris Johnson's resignation, when we come back. You are watching CNN.
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SOARES: Welcome back.
With the future of leadership in the U.K. hanging in the balance and economic pressures from the pandemic and the war in Ukraine pressing down on the country, the U.K. already has the highest inflation in the G7.
Now the International Monetary Fund warns that next year the U.K. will see slower economic growth as well as worse inflation than any other major economy.
The projection was part of the world economic outlook that was published on Tuesday. There are a lot of factors also at play in this cost of living crisis. For more, I'm joined by Anna Stewart.
Anna, this is not great timing, of course, to be looking at these numbers, when we have a transition of government here, when we're waiting for the next prime minister. Talk us through these bleak numbers, Anna?
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We very much need a government who can govern. We need that in the best of times.
[10:20:00]
STEWART: This is far from that. Inflation above 9 percent, the worst figure of the G7 economies. And inflation is expected to top 11 percent, according to the Bank of England.
The economy is flatlining. It actually shrank in March and April of this year, a recession is now widely expected from economists. So yes, this is this moment for strong, united government. And in the last 48 hours with the resignation of chancellor Rishi Sunak it was evident that they didn't agree at economic policy at the very top.
Particularly when it came to taxation. Rishi Sunak looking to raise corporation tax, next year and under a lot of pressure from the outgoing prime minister to lower taxes, a much more popular policy that was reflected by the new chancellor.
He said that cutting taxes would be part of his plan to rebuild the economy. He also said that it was time for the prime minister to go.
How long will this new chancellor will be in position?
It could be days, it could be weeks. There will likely be some kind of cabinet reshuffle. I think at this stage, all eyes on the next prime minister, the next leader of the Tory Party.
But what will they mean, in terms of economic policy?
Chances are, given that we're looking at a leadership vote, they will support cutting taxation. That is a very popular policy. But that could add to inflationary pressures. So that is definitely a concern, looking at the next few weeks, Isa.
SOARES: So on that point, Anna, we had the very good chance. But what are the other favorites from the business side, that they prefer, Anna?
STEWART: At this stage, it's hard to see differences from the favorite contenders. There is some focus, at the moment, on what each contender would mean for the Northern Ireland protocol, how hard ball would they play.
For example Liz Truss, Penny Morduant, more on the right-hand side, there could be a much feistier fight with the E.U. They could have an impact on the pound, versus some other contenders. Were Rishi Sunak to put his hat in the ring, we don't know enough about them.
Across the board, lowering of taxation would be on the cards. Also in terms of comparing this to the last leadership contest post Theresa May or the last election, the financial risk here is actually pretty limited by comparison.
We're no longer facing a Brexit that could be a hard Brexit or a soft Brexit or a no deal Brexit. We no longer have on the opposition bench, lurking, the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who, of course, is on the hard left. So the financial risk is less. But they have a huge job to tackle in terms of the economy.
SOARES: It's going to be quite the list of contenders, I see it. Anna Stewart, there for us. Thanks very much, Anna.
Now comparisons between Boris Johnson and Donald Trump are nothing new but they rose again, as the political drama played out here. My next guest says all the political business could backfire on Mr. Johnson's opponents.
Freddy Gray of "The Spectator" writes, "The majority of Americans never loved or even liked Trump but anti Trumpism was a major phenomenon. People could see the hollowness of the politicians that stood against him.
"People despise this sordidness more than they hate any one figure, which is why we could see an anti-anti-Boris backlash in the months and years ahead."
Freddy Gray joins us now. We spoke, I think it was on Monday, trying to make sense of what is going on. Give me first, your take of what's has happened this Thursday morning, what a morning in British politics.
FREDDY GRAY, "THE SPECTATOR": Well, British politics have been very weird for about seven years, six years, now. And I think this last few days, this last 48 hours, has been the most extraordinary time, certainly in my time as a journalist, covering British politics.
I think that what we might be looking, at now -- and I don't think it's hyperbole to say, it -- is a Tory Party that's going to break apart. Because if you look at the various contenders, they are roughly all aligned on policy.
But it's none of them are going to be able to convince the rump of the party and Boris Johnson never convinced the rump of the party, with his strange right-left coalition that he brought together. He proved that he was able to win the ballot. That held everything together and got him that big majority.
But The party itself is still completely torn on Brexit. There's a pro Brexit majority. There is great uncertainty about how to go forward. And then there's, of course, the pandemic, which the Conservative government locked down the country, shut down the economy, which a lot of Conservatives are very unhappy about.
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GRAY: There is real fractiousness and division in the party. There might be some relief if Boris goes quite quickly, which is a point of contention. But there may be some relief. I don't think that relief will last very long.
I think there will be bitterness and recriminations. I think the public, while they were fed up with Boris, are not exactly relieved or excited about the prospect of a new Tory prime minister because there isn't a new Tory leader who has any clear agenda.
SOARES: But, Freddy, if it does go on until autumn, you compared, I think, on Monday, like a dam about to burst.
How much worse can it get?
What options are there for those in the Conservative Party?
What can they do?
GRAY: Well, I don't think it will go on. I suspect next week we will have a shorter time scale in place. If it does drag on, then, yes, there will be a crisis. If we get this continued, we can't operate with this leader situation. But I think the pressure is too much.
And I think people are being a little bit hysterical. People are so used to viciously hating Boris Johnson and saying that he has to go, even though now that he has gone, they can't be sure until they see him leave.
I think it's clear he is resigning. There will be a timeline in the next few days, maybe the next week. I don't think it's as desperate as people think. Possibly I'm wrong, possibly he does have some cunning plan to have a great escape. But I don't see it.
SOARES: Well, at the moment we could be seeing a bit of a farewell tour. I want to get your thoughts, Freddy, who are the contenders?
I think if I just get my producer to bring those up.
Can you bring up the graphic, quickly, of the contenders?
Who do you think, can you imagine the list is very long. Who would you say the favorite, here, to take the top job?
We're looking there, Rishi Sunak, Jeremy hunt, Steve Baker, Ben Wallace, Dominic Raab, who do you think would be the favorite among the Conservative Party?
GRAY: One of my many vices is I like betting. I bet a while ago on Nadhim Zahawi at 80 to 1. And that proved to be in a way.
But I actually don't (INAUDIBLE) -- hate to rob myself of my own winnings. But I think he performed a ridiculous -- accepting the role of chancellor and then turning on Boris himself within 24 hours I think that will make him poisonous even by poisonous Tory standards.
I think Rishi Sunak perhaps has the most efficient operation behind him. However, he was chancellor of the British economy at a time when the British economy suffered greatly. It wasn't his fault, it was the pandemic.
But it's certainly clear he has not provided a very good road map to get out of our inflationary crisis. Things have gotten worse. He signaled that he's anti-tax but he's also quite pro tax. It's been a muddled time with him in charge.
Ben Wallace is the Defence Secretary, is the clear favorite. A lot of popularity over Ukraine. But again, if he goes to the membership, it seems the membership like him a lot. But I'm not sure he has the kind of name appeal, the brand appeal, that will carry him home.
So I don't really have a good answer for you there. I think a lot of them have quite a lot of weaknesses.
SOARES: Just remind me, in the days ahead, what concerns you the most if this drags on, finally? GRAY: I suppose the economy, which is already in a perilous state, will start to look in great danger. Although at the same time, I am skeptical about that. I think countries can actually muddle along quite well without a government. We've seen that with other European countries like Spain.
I think as long as the civil service is able to function and there isn't this endless panic about Boris, I think the panic about him not going, is what might cause a dysfunction. I think everyone should just calm down. It's been a very dramatic 48 hours. But politics moves on, it always does.
SOARES: Freddy Gray, always great to get your insight, thank you, Freddy, indeed.
We'll have much more, of course, of our continuing coverage ahead, as Boris Johnson steps down, leaving the economic mess in the hands of his predecessor. Do stay here, this is CNN.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone, coming to you live from outside Parliament in London, where Boris Johnson has resigned in the last couple of hours as prime minister.
The question really is what is next after Boris Johnson's stunning and somewhat ambiguous resignation. His announcement, a few hours ago, capped off a dramatic couple of days, in which dozens of MPs quit. Take a listen to what he had to say.
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JOHNSON: To that new leader, I say, whoever you may be, I give you as much support as I can. And to you, the British public, I know that there will be many people who are relieved. Perhaps, quite a few who will be disappointed. I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world. But them's the breaks.
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SOARES: Them's the breaks. Well, reactions coming in. He made the right decision, calling for calm, as you can see there, while a new leader is found.
When will that happen?
Mr. Johnson says he will announce his timeline for his departure next week. As they say, the devil is in the details. For more let's bring in Nada Bashir.
Nada, of course everyone wants to give something timeline of when this might happen. Now we're hearing calls from the likes of John Major, saying the longer he waits, the worse it is. He actually said it's unsustainable and unwise.
So talk us through what's the mood is like.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is the sentiment we've been hearing from lawmakers. They do not want the prime minister to hold on for those months. It does appear that Boris Johnson does intend to remain as a caretaker until the Conservative Party conference in the autumn.
We have just seen that the cabinet ministers walking in behind me at 10 Downing Street. That appears to have wrapped up a short cabinet meeting. It does appear to be winding down now. Many of the cabinet ministers are also wondering if they are caretaker cabinet ministers.
[10:35:00]
BASHIR: They may not hold onto this position for quite a long time. You see them coming up now from 10 Downing Street. A very short meeting. Interested to see what will come from the newly appointed cabinet makers.
We saw the attorney general walking in, she's already thrown her hat into the ring for a potential leadership bid. That will be, of course, the question for many.
Who will be the next prime minister?
Who will take over the job from Boris Johnson?
You heard earlier in the show, there are still several questions as to who the front-runner will emerge to be. Of course, there are still significant divisions in the party. Many of the senior former ministers of the cabinet have been part of Boris Johnson's government, which has, for the last few months, faced significant scandals.
There are concerns that they may be tarnished by Boris Johnson's reputation. We are waiting to hear about that timeline as well.
How will this play out?
We do expect that timeline to be set out in the next week. There is growing pressure from senior Conservative lawmakers for the prime minister not to hold on to that position until the time for an interim caretaker prime minister to be appointed.
Who will that be?
Perhaps one of these, Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister. Perhaps may step in to take in that role. That seems like a clear option, at the stage. We simply don't know what will happen. Isa. SOARES: In the meantime, what we have is a hobbled cabinet, following what we've seen, an avalanche of resignations. This of course, coming at a time of great economic stress, as you point out, great economic pressures, because of the cost of living, inflation, the war on Ukraine.
When it comes to actually making key policy decisions, what happens, Nada, that surely is a big concern?
BASHIR: Absolutely. When we saw those resignations coming in, it reached a point there were concerns the government would simply not be able to grind on without these key people in office.
We have seen, cobbled together, a cabinet office attempting to keep the government going. But there are still those divisions. We heard from the Labour opposition party leader, Keir Starmer, saying that this is not a matter of just replacing the man at the top of the Conservative Party, it's a wider issue.
We need a complete overhaul here at 10 Downing Street. Whether or not that will emerge to be the case is still to be seen. Of course that would still be hugely -- something the Conservative Party would certainly not want.
Considering the polling data, not only the prime minister losing trust but also the party as a whole is involved in this chaos. Of course, as they do try to get on with the job, that is what the prime minister has said, he's said he has to stay in position to get that job done. But for many he's already done enough.
SOARES: Yes, it's really interesting times to say the least. But talk us through, Nada, some of the contenders.
Who are you hearing from your sources?
From your contacts?
For the Conservative Party -- sees as the next leader?
BASHIR: Well, look, there are many questions around Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, whether he'll be asked to step in as interim caretaker.
Other clear contenders appear to be, for example, the former chancellor Rishi Sunak. He seems to be a popular choice at the moment. Of course there are concerns around that. He oversaw the cost of living crisis.
There are real concerns, there, that continues to be a key issue in the U.K. That continues to be at the forefront of voters' minds. Others, of course, the former health secretary. We saw him issue his resignation at the House of Commons. He could not in good conscience remain in government with Boris Johnson as prime minister.
Really driving home the message of maintaining integrity and trust of the British electorate. We may see a potential bid from him as well. At this stage we haven't heard those senior figures putting forward
their hand to be the next prime minister. You can hear just behind me, the cabinet ministers coming out right now. Many questions about whether they may throw their hat in the ring.
The attorney general said she has already considered stepping forward for that role. There are serious divisions within the Conservative Party, still. Whether there will be a one candidate who can unify the party is still a key question.
SOARES: Yes, that's something I've been hearing about the last three days. The importance of unity. But also, Nada, of stability, right now.
[10:40:00]
SOARES: Nada Bashir, for us, 10 Downing Street.
Breaking news coverage of Boris Johnson's resignation continues. We get you the big stories of the day, straight ahead.
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SOARES: Welcome back outside Parliament in London. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is commenting on British prime minister Boris Johnson's resignation. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): He resigned, not because he was in Ukraine. What Johnson was doing for Ukraine, he was a true friend of Ukraine. He totally supported Ukraine.
And the U.K. is on the right side of history. I am sure the policy toward Ukraine of the U.K. will not be changing. And our relationship obviously gained a lot from Boris Johnson's activities. Yes, we don't know if something will affect our unity but,, first of all, we have got military support from the U.K. and that's been secured.
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SOARES: Well, Mr. Johnson has, of course, made a couple of trips to Ukraine since Russians' invasion back in February. Meanwhile Mr. Zelenskyy says long-range rocket systems that arrived from the West are working powerfully against Russian military targets.
But these prize weapons have to keep moving to avoid Russian detection. CNN's Phil Black visited one such mobile unit near the front lines.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A secret location, a precious weapon, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System or HIMARS, a powerful gift from the United States to Ukraine.
So far, they've only received four of these launches. But the scorch marks on the earth show they've been busy. Their commander, Alexander, says the HIMARS is now Ukraine's most important weapon.
He says it's modern, precise, deadly and the Russians should fear it.
ALEXANDER, UKRAINIAN COMMANDER: (Speaking foreign language).
BLACK (voice-over): The operators say its accuracy and range, about 44 miles, allows them to hit important sites deep inside Russian controlled territory. Mostly command posts, weapons and ammunition storage.
Officially, Ukraine confirms few of the HIMARS strikes but the evidence is out there. The crew says, after each launch, they mined Russian news sites and social media to see the impact of their work.
Alexander says, "20 minutes after our job is done, all the information is public."
There was no comment from Ukraine over the course of this huge explosion at a weapons depot close to the Russian border. The local pro-Russian forces were in no doubt.
[10:45:00]
BLACK (voice-over): Only Ukraine's new HIMARS could have done this.
BLACK: The system's job is to take out high value Russian targets. But the Ukrainians know this is now a high priority target for the Russians. A lot of care is being taken to ensure it stays safe, protected from Russian eyes and weapons.
BLACK (voice-over): Somewhere in the woods and fields nearby, air defense systems and a special ground operation are guarding this site. And they're all moving constantly, never staying longer than a day in one location. In another site, the HIMARS' ability to influence this war, Ukrainian leaders can't stop saying thank you.
No other donated weapon has inspired so much public gratitude from the president, the defense minister and the military.
This commander wants to thank the American people and President Biden for providing a weapon that is helping Ukraine stay in the fight. But he and every other soldier here knows Russia still has the momentum in this war. And that's why their message to their allies is unchanged: please send more weapons now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: That was Phil Black reporting there. Now basketball star Brittney Griner has pleaded guilty to drug
smuggling in Russia. Griner appeared in a Moscow courtroom on Thursday and admitted to bringing cannabis oil into the country back in February.
But Griner says she had packed her bags in a hurry and had not intended to break the law. She could face up to 10 years in a Russian prison. Griner's wife spoke to U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday who reassured her he is working to bring her home. CNN's Kylie Atwood is following the developments for us and joins us now from the State Department.
Kylie, give us a sense of what more was said in that phone call with President Biden.
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that phone call with President Biden, vice president was -- happened earlier this week. That was with Cherelle Griner, who is Brittney Griner's wife. It is something that Cherelle Griner had been pushing forward for a long time, to speak with President Biden.
It was the result of Brittney Griner sending a letter to President Biden on July 4th, talking about her fear of being detained in Russia for forever and really making a personal plea to him, saying that she had voted for him in 2020. She had not voted in the past and really urging him to do everything in his power to get her out of Russia to secure her release.
So that was a significant phone call that happened with Cherelle and the president on Monday. And we know that President Biden in that phone call read to Cherelle Griner a letter that he was sending back to Brittney Griner.
We are just learning today that that letter was shared with Brittney Griner by a U.S. diplomat on the sidelines of this trial that occurred in Russia. And, of course, the significant news out of that trial today is that Brittney Griner did plead guilty.
And now according to Russian state, media who was there and is reporting on this, through a translator, Brittney Griner essentially said that she had no intention to commit a crime or to carry drugs.
And she explained that the reason that she had these hashish oil in her bag was because she had been packing up quickly. She had no intention to actually bring that with her. But she did plead guilty.
And it's significant that she pled guilty today because what we have seen in the past is that, with Trevor Reed, who is another American who was wrongfully detained in Russia, he was released as part of a prisoner swap earlier this year.
And what we saw is that he received a sentence and he was forced to plead guilty. He signed a paper, saying that he was guilty of the charges that he was being charged with just days before that prisoner swap. So it's significant that this has happened. We don't know if there is a prisoner swap that is going to happen. We
don't know how Brittney Griner will get out of the country. But we will watch next week. There is a third trial as part of this ongoing trial on July 14th.
We will watch to see if Russia actually sentences Brittney Griner to anything. We know these drug charges are punishable with up to 10 years in prison.
SOARES: Kylie Atwood there for us at the State Department, thank you very much.
Now the annual Hajj pilgrimage is underway in the holy city of Mecca. Pilgrims have traveled to Saudi Arabia from all over the world for the first time in two years. During the pandemic, remember, numbers were limited and only Saudi nationals were allowed to attend.
Now officials are allowing around 1 million missions to perform the Hajj, breathing new life into the pillar of Islam.
[10:50:00]
SOARES: Here is what some of the international visitors had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am here for Hajj. And I -- it is my chance. And it's very important for Islam, it's a place where start of Islam. It is where the Prophet Muhammad and it is very important for me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We are, we have two more days before relief for multi leave. And then we will go to Mount Arafat. And we've just come to see the most amazing, spectacular view I could ever imagine in my life. It's amazing, it's breathtaking.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am from Canada. I am here to perform Hajj this year in 2022. I am here at the (INAUDIBLE) and wanted to see where the Prophet Muhammad received his revelations. It has always been a dream to complete the Hajj, so I am so grateful that I'm here, all the way from Canada. All of these people are here for Hajj.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: The numbers, the increased numbers are still less than half of pre pandemic levels. But the kingdom has plans to increase capacity, even more in the coming years. We'll have much more, of course, of our continuing coverage just ahead. Do stay right here on CNN.
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SOARES: Welcome back, everyone.
So what is Boris Johnson's legacy?
Crisis after crisis followed him out of the country, really held through, Brexit as well as the coronavirus pandemic. Along the, way there were missteps, there were scandals and then there were cover- ups. I want to talk more about Boris Johnson's impact on the country with Nina dos Santos. Joining me, now.
When he spoke today outside of 10 Downing Street, we did not hear an apology, we did not hear any remorse. We did hear some of his greatest hits. Talk us through those.
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNNMONEY EUROPE EDITOR: Yes, his greatest hits in particular obviously, the vaccine rollout. Brexit, first and foremost that he promised to get done. It kind of got done but the question mark, is whether or not he did it the best way.
He definitely did it his way, it was quite an antagonistic relationship that the country is left with, with its largest trading partner of Europe. And now obviously, we have that unpicking of the Northern Ireland protocol. That whoever succeeds him will have to deal with as well.
One of his other, big more recent successes, of course, being Ukraine. We know that Volodymyr Zelenskyy was just on a phone call with, him saying that you, know he does remain a big, wartime friend and the U.K. a big ally to Ukraine.
That is all very good, many Brits will say. But look at the downsides. There have been endless crises and social care that has been leftover since the pandemic. Taxes haven't gone down to stimulate growth. They've actually gone up to the highest level since the Second World War.
This country is dealing with a precipitous rise of inflation and a huge spike in interest rates that many Britons, who have just entered the workforce over the last 10 years or so, will have a hard time dealing with.
They have had rock bottom interest rates throughout the course of their working careers. We have also got other things like the Partygate scandal.
[10:55:00]
DOS SANTOS: And those are the issues that continue to tarnish his reputation. And essentially, the thing that brought him down at the end was none of the tangible stuff. It was really, the question of trust and truth.
Time after time, Boris Johnson was caught lying about things that he said he did not know about; Partygate, for instance. He then got fined for breaching his own COVID lockdown rules. Obviously, the latest scandal involved a sexual misbehavior scandal, that apparently first Johnson said he did not know about.
Then it turned out when somebody else pointed out that he did know about, it yes he had to confess. He did know about, it has just come to so many distractions that many of those British MPs said, they just cannot get on with the day-to-day business of governing the country at the time when it is right on the brink of a recession.
When it comes to his legacy with foreign leaders, that was also quite fractious. He had a famously unpleasant relationship with people like Emmanuel Macron on the other side of the Channel. The French president. Germany has a new chancellor. It wasn't as though he was getting along terribly well with, him or Angela Merkel before.
And Joe Biden, the U.S. President, was extremely irritated with how he had negotiated Brexit. There were other, further afield issues like flip-flopping on the issue of China. Also, his relationship to certain U.K.-Russian oligarchs continues to be an issue.
Yvette Cooper on the benches of the opposition Labour Party has tabled a whole bunch of urgent questions this week about what relationship Johnson had with the son of a former KGB agent, his son, Johnson recommended for a peerage in the House of lords.
These issues just will not go away and this is the kind of legacy that he will be left with, obviously depending on how quickly he decides to leave Downing Street. He might want to rebuild a career in the media. He might want to re-narrate his own legacy that these are the things for, now people remember.
And it's also a huge destruction, which is why the Tory Party have admitted that they really want him out now.
SOARES: Yes, really want him. out but like you have clearly outlined Nina, it is not just time around. It's not a question of policy. We have been here before with crisis after crisis with Partygate, so many other allegations.
But the question of character and lack of trust as I have been hearing, questions of integrity with this prime minister. Nina dos Santos for, us outside there in the offices and the bureau in London. Thank you very much Nina.
Of course, we will stay on top of this breaking news here in London. Prime minister Boris Johnson has announced he will resign. We don't have a timeframe for who will replace him. We don't know who are the main contenders.
Yet I can imagine it will be a long, long list. But many of the MPs I am talking to saying he has to go much quicker. I will be back after this short break.
