UK PM Boris Johnson has survived his vote of no-confidence and will stay on as leader of the party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The final result of the vote is 211 for Johnson to stay to 148 no-confidence votes.
To trigger the no-confidence vote, 15 per cent of Conservative MPs had to write a letter saying they no longer supported Johnson. That puts the pre-vote count at 54 Tory MPs out of 359 at minimum supporting Johnson’s resignation.
To survive the no-confidence vote, Johnson needed 50 per cent of his MPs’ support plus one (180 votes).
The push to see Johnson removed as leader of the Conservatives and Prime Minister stems from his scandal during the peak of COVID restrictions after it was revealed that he and other parliamentarians and staff were hosting “wine-time Fridays” while simultaneously banning social gatherings across the nation.
According to the Mirror, “Sources told the Mirror that the Prime Minister encouraged aides to “let off steam” despite indoor socializing being banned under lockdown rules.”
“The regular event was so popular that staff even invested in a £142 drinks fridge to keep their bottles of white wine, Prosecco and beer cool,” the report continues.
In a public apology, Johnson said, “I know the rage they feel with me, and with the government I lead, when they think in Downing Street itself the rules are not being properly followed by the people who make the rules. And though I cannot anticipate the conclusions of the current inquiry, I have learned enough to know there were things we simply did not get right, and I must take responsibility.”
Johnson was subsequently fined for breaking his own lockdown rules.
Many MPs, including Conservatives, have denounced Johnson over his rule-breaking, and Conservative MP John Penrose, the anti-corruption tsar, resigned before the vote.
“I hope you will now stand aside so we can look to the future and choose your successor,” Penrose wrote in a publicly available letter.
Meanwhile, MP Jesse Norman released a letter on Twitter, saying he no longer supports the PM, calling his “casual law-breaking” and belief he was vindicated following investigations “grotesque.”
“I have always been deeply committed to public service. But recent events have served to clarify the position this country is in under your leadership, beyond any doubt; and I am afraid I can see no circumstances in which I could serve in a government led by you.”
“First, as Sue Gray’s report underlines, you have presided over a culture of casual law-breaking at 10 Downing Street in relation to Covid. To describe yourself as “vindicated” by the report is grotesque.”
Before the vote, many believed that PM Boris Johnson would survive the no-confidence vote, but several indicated that both Johnson and the party will continue on their downward trajectory regarding public opinion and support.
Speaking with Al Jazeera, Queen Mary University of London professor Tim Bale said, “The polling for the Conservative Party has taken a fairly dramatic downturn in recent weeks, in particular the polling numbers of Boris Johnson, which had never been that great, really headed south over the last few weeks.”
“For the Conservative MPs, the key issue is who is going to be best able to help them keep their seats in the next election, and Boris Johnson became more of a liability than an asset in that regard.”
Indeed, according to polls from May, Johnson’s approval rating sits at an abysmal 26 per cent and has been steadily declining since the winter months.
