Boris Johnson has won a vote of confidence in his leadership but more than 40 per cent of his MPs voted to remove him from office. The prime minister welcomed the result, which he won by 211 to 148 after a day of drama in Westminister, describing it as decisive and conclusive though his authority has been dealt a significant blow.
“Don’t forget when I first stood to be leader of the Conservative party in 2019, I didn’t get anything like that much support from my colleagues in parliament. What we have now is an opportunity to put behind us all the stuff as I say that people in the media like going on about. There’s a difference in the category of conversation. I know people want to talk about stuff that goes on at Westminster,” he said.
“What we want to do is get on, use this moment which I think is, whatever you may say, decisive and conclusive, and continue with our priorities,” Mr Johnson added.
Theresa May won a vote of no confidence in 2018 with 63 per cent of the vote but she left office six months later. Mr Johnson won 59 per cent of the vote on Monday night.
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UK Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said the vote showed that Conservative MPs were out of touch with public anger about lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street.
“They have ignored the British public and hitched themselves and their party firmly to Boris Johnson and all he represents. The Conservative party now believes that good government focused on improving lives is too much to ask,” he said.
[ Analysis: Johnson badly wounded politically as he wins stay of executionOpens in new window ]
[ Johnson left too little time to engage with wavering MPsOpens in new window ]
Addressing Conservative MPs ahead of the vote, Mr Johnson defended his record as prime minister and urged them to draw a line under speculation about his leadership.
The prime minister had sharp exchanges with some MPs during the meeting, telling one critic that he took “serious exception” to his honesty being questioned. Asked about his attendance at leaving parties in Downing Street during lockdown the prime minister said “I’d do it again”. Shortly afterwards, a senior party source asked reporters outside the meeting: “Is there anyone here who hasn’t got pissed in their lives?”
Mr Johnson’s cabinet colleagues were among the first to declare support for him on Monday morning after 1922 Committee chairman Graham Brady announced he had received the required 54 letters to trigger a no-confidence vote. The most high-profile figure to say he would vote against the prime minister was former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, who was runner-up in the 2019 leadership election.
“We are not offering the integrity, competence and vision necessary to unleash the enormous potential of our country. And because we are no longer trusted by the electorate, who know this too, we are set to lose the next general election,” he said.
Mr Johnson promised on Monday night to focus on the business of government; suggesting he will unveil a package of economic measures including tax cuts next week. His government is expected to introduce a bill this week that would unilaterally disapply the central elements of the Northern Ireland protocol.
