British Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a no-confidence vote Monday brought by Conservative Party leaders upset over his leadership.

Jimmie Johnson Reporter

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson survives no-confidence vote

Jun 06, 2022

Jimmie Johnson Reporter

By Jimmie Johnson (Reporter), Ben Burke (Producer/Editor), Chris Field (Senior Editor)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a no-confidence vote Monday brought by his own Conservative Party in response to lawmakers’ disappointment in his leadership. The ongoing scandal connected to parties at 10 Downing Street that were in clear violation of COVID-19 lockdown orders his government had imposed on the public served to exacerbate Conservatives’ concern with Johnson’s command.

The secret ballot took place Monday evening. Johnson, needing the backing of just a simple majority of 180 of the 359 Conservative lawmakers, won the confidence vote 211 to 148. With the win, Johnson gets to remain in his post and cannot be challenged again for another year, according to current rules.

The Washington Post noted that though Johnson survived the no-confidence vote, the result was quite close for a leader who helped his party win a landslide election just three years ago.

Had he lost, conservatives would have been forced to pick a new leader and Johnson would have been barred from running. However, the party had no obvious leader to replace Johnson, which may have played a role in saving the prime minister from being kicked to the curb.

The win, though, does not in any way ensure Johnson’s tribulations as leader are over. He continues to suffer poor polling numbers, the Post said, and the pandemic parties scandal continues to plague him. Things have become so strained for the prime minister in London that he was openly booed during a service Friday at St. Paul’s Cathedral marking Queen Elizabeth II’s jubilee celebration.

The Johnson government, after leading the country through its exit of the European Union and the COVID-19 pandemic, is faced with social and economic problems, including rising energy and food prices, the Associated Press reported.

Johnson’s office said the prime minister looked at the vote as “a chance to end months of speculation and allow the government to draw a line and move on,” the AP said.

Sir Graham Brady | 1922 Committee Chair: “That the vote in favour of having confidence in Boris Johnson as leader was 211 votes and the vote against was 148 votes. And therefore I can announce that the parliamentary party does have confidence.”
Jimmie Johnson: BRITISH PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON SURVIVES.
YOU JUST HEARD THE RESULTS OF YESTERDAY’S NO CONFIDENCE VOTE AMONG HIS OWN CONSERVATIVE PARTY.
HAD THE VOTE GONE THE OTHER WAY — HE COULD’VE BEEN OUSTED FROM POWER.
JOHNSON HAS FACED CRITICISM FOR MONTHS OVER PARTIES HE AND HIS STAFF THREW DURING COVID LOCKDOWN.
ACCORDING TO HIS OPPONENTS — THAT’S NOT THE ONLY REASON HE SHOULD’VE BEEN OUSTED.
Jon Ashworth | Labour Party Shadow Minister: “It’s not just his lying over Partygate, it’s not that vomit and empty bottles were left for the cleaners to clear up or that the security staff were abused. It’s that he’s got no answers to the desperate cost of living crisis impacting the country. People are skim, the prices are going up in the shops, the heating bills are going up.”
Jimmie Johnson: AS YOU CAN TELL FROM THE VOTES, SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF JOHNSON’S OWN PARTY AGREED.
HOWEVER — THE MAJORITY OF CONSERVATIVE M-P’S DECIDED NOW WAS NOT THE TIME FOR A LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE IN THE U-K.
Martin Vickers | Conservative MP: “Well I think we’ve got to accept that what happened in Downing Street was irresponsible and reckless and I in no way defend some of the parties and so on that went on. But the prime minister has paid the price for that, not just by being fined but in the constant attacks and the way he has had to defend his position.”}
Jimmie Johnson: AN INTERESTING NOTE ABOUT THE VOTE.
JOHNSON WON BY A SLIMMER MARGIN THAN HIS PREDECESSOR THERESA MAY DID IN HER OWN NO CONFIDENCE VOTE BACK IN 20-18.
SHE WAS FORCED TO RESIGN SIX MONTHS LATER.
Boris Johnson | British Prime Minister: “I’ve got a far bigger mandate from my own parliamentary colleagues, for instance, than I had in 2019. I’m grateful for the support they’ve given me. And, of course, I understand that what we need to do now is come together as a government, as a party. And that is exactly what we can now do.”