Two years after winning an 80-seat majority in the 2019 general election, Boris Johnson is now fighting for his political survival as a secret ballot of Conservative MPs is expected to be held tonight in Westminster.
Pixabay/OltreCreativeAgency
After months of speculations and uncertainties, Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 Committee, announced this morning that the 54-letter threshold to trigger a formal leadership challenge has now been reached.
“The threshold of 15% of the parliamentary party seeking a vote of confidence in the leader of the Conservative Party has been exceeded.
“In accordance with the rules, a ballot will be held between 1800 and 2000 on Monday 6 June, details to be confirmed. The votes will be counted immediately afterwards. An announcement will be made at a time to be advised. Arrangements for the announcement will be released later today.”
Boris Johnson needs the backing of 180 Conservative MPs tonight to keep his job.
Should the PM survive the vote of no confidence, Professor Tim Bale (Professor of Politics at Queen Mary, University of London) argues in the Guardian that “there’s nothing to stop all those who voted no confidence in him first time round immediately writing to 1922 Committee chair, Graham Brady, to demand another vote, something he and his colleagues would find it tough to deny on a technicality, especially when that technicality doesn’t really exist.”
According to Conservative peer and Times writer Daniel Finkelstein, speaking on BBC News, if between 120 and 130 Conservative MPs vote against the PM, it would be “seriously problematic” for Boris Johnson.
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Please CHIP IN to keep us going!The reactions in Westminster
Those calling for Tory MPs to finally sack the PM:
Conservative MP Jesse Norman accuses Boris Johnson of creating “dividing lines” and a “culture war”.
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) June 6, 2022
Ferrari: "What's your message to Tory MPs at 6pm?"
— Theo Usherwood (@theousherwood) June 6, 2022
Keir Starmer: "I think they have got to show some leadership and vote against the Prime Minister."
Says voting against the PM would be in the "national interest".
"I think we're acting in the government's ultimate interest and that's in the interest of the country. We can't carry on like this"
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) June 6, 2022
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen is among those to have written a letter of no confidence in the PM https://t.co/8nEonQKreq pic.twitter.com/BlLRF0IdrP
It’s judgement day for Conservative MPs and their sleaze-ridden Prime Minister.
— Ed Davey MP 🔶 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@EdwardJDavey) June 6, 2022
If they fail to sack Boris Johnson, it will be an insult to all those who made sacrifices and suffered while he partied.
"They can't possibly believe that Boris Johnson is the answer to the country's problems."
— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 6, 2022
Labour's @WesStreeting says if Tory MPs now choose to "cling to" the PM they will be "complicit in his behaviour".
Live: https://t.co/OITAaFGjYr
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602 and Freeview 233 pic.twitter.com/P4O0RuKCQE
Anyone who believes our country is stronger, fairer & more prosperous when led by Conservatives should reflect that the consequence of not changing will be to hand the country to others who do not share those values. Today’s decision is change or lose. I will be voting for change
— Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) June 6, 2022
I’m sorry to have to resign as the PM’s Anti-Corruption Tsar but, after his reply last week about the Ministerial Code, it’s pretty clear he has broken it. That’s a resigning matter for me, and it should be for the PM too. Here’s my letter to him explaining why. pic.twitter.com/0Wi6QWsMbI
— John Penrose (@JohnPenroseNews) June 6, 2022
Those supporting the PM:
The Prime Minister has my full backing in today's vote.
— Brandon Lewis (@BrandonLewis) June 6, 2022
He got the key big decisions right on covid, Brexit delivery & supporting Ukraine. He has apologised for mistakes made and we owe it to our constituents to focus on delivering to make lives better.
The Prime Minister has my 100% backing in today's vote and I strongly encourage colleagues to support him.
— Liz Truss (@trussliz) June 6, 2022
He has delivered on covid recovery and supporting Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. He has apologised for mistakes made.
We must now focus on economic growth.
From the vaccine rollout to our response to Russian aggression, the PM has shown the strong leadership our country needs.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) June 6, 2022
I am backing him today and will continue to back him as we focus on growing the economy, tackling the cost of living and clearing the Covid backlogs.
The PM has got the big calls right – securing life-saving vaccines, firing up our economy and standing up to Putin’s aggression against Ukraine.
— Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) June 6, 2022
We need to back him, unite and focus on delivering the people’s priorities.
I'm voting for the Prime Minister today & call upon my colleagues to do so too.
— Thérèse Coffey #PlatinumJubilee #GodSaveTheQueen (@theresecoffey) June 6, 2022
PM has got the big calls right - Covid,Ukraine,jobs,levelling up mission,cost of living help & he got Brexit done.
Let's focus on delivering our manifesto that got us an 80 seat majority #BackBoris
I’ll be voting for Boris this evening. The PM got the big decisions right on Brexit and Covid. We need to focus now on defending Ukraine, driving levelling-up and generating growth. We need to move past this moment and unite behind Boris to meet these challenges
— Michael Gove (@michaelgove) June 6, 2022
In 2019 Boris won with a majority of 80. He has delivered victories in seats we have never held before. On Covid, on Ukraine he has helped deliver a world leading response. He has my full confidence.
— Rt. Hon Ben Wallace MP (@BWallaceMP) June 6, 2022
PM won 80 seat majority, delivered Brexit, drove testing/vaccine delivery prog, introduced furlough, removed all COVID restrictions opening our economy, first leader to assist Ukraine + has delivered lowest unemployment since 1974. Every big decision bang on. He 💯 has my vote.
— Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) June 6, 2022
With the cost of living rising, war in Europe and an economy to recover after Covid, now is not the time for a distracting and divisive leadership contest.@BorisJohnson has my support - we must back him to get on with the job of delivering for the British people.
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) June 6, 2022
People do not vote for divided teams. We are strongest when we are united and focused on delivey for the British people. The PM has got the big calls right: be it on Brexit, vaccines or leading us out of the pandemic. We must get behind him & deliver on our promise to level up.
— Nadhim Zahawi (@nadhimzahawi) June 6, 2022
Jacob Rees-Mogg says that Boris Johnson would have a clear mandate to continue as leader, even if he wins by just one vote.
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) June 6, 2022
The ‘lines to take’ briefing from Number 10:
Just been sent this. The ‘lines to take’ briefing. ‘Extremely harmful to launch a distracting, divisive & destructive leadership contest’ a ‘destructive civil war & leadership contest would ‘Graf on for months alienating voters’ PM a “proven election winner” pic.twitter.com/qBUuz9oxPy
— Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) June 6, 2022
What a new poll says:
🚨NEW SNAP POLL🚨
— Opinium (@OpiniumResearch) June 6, 2022
28% of voters think that Conservative MPs should vote to keep Johnson
59% think they should vote to remove him
We surveyed 2062 GB adults this morning. More results to follow. pic.twitter.com/6t1pazPpdc
— AUTHORS —
▫ PMP News reporting.
Sources
- Text: This piece was first published in PMP Magazine on 6 June 2022.
- Cover: Flickr/Number 10. - PM Boris Johnson. | 6 June 2022. (Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.)
