Prime Minister Boris Johnson could face a no-confidence vote. But the current situation is unclear, because his Tory party colleagues also have something to lose.
London – One of the most important politicians in Great Britain at the moment is the Conservative MP Graham Brady. Should the chairman of the so-called 1922 Committee receive 54 letters in which MPs are unsubscribing from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, an internal party vote of no confidence will be due.
In the London government district, many observers are currently assuming that the threshold has already been reached and that Brady will announce this at the beginning of the week. A widespread opinion is that he just wants to wait for the parliamentary recess around the Queen’s 70th jubilee so as not to overshadow the celebrations. Johnson is controversial in public: he was loudly booed during an appearance during the Queen’s “Jubilee”.
Boris Johnson: Is he counted when the votes for a no-confidence vote are counted?
So far, the official number of letters is 28. However, Sky News has counted 45 MPs who have publicly questioned Johnson’s position. The parliamentarians are also not obliged to make their letters public. A few more are likely to have arrived over the long weekend, with up to 70 already, the Telegraph newspaper quoted a Tory source as saying.
Boris Johnson has been criticized for his handling of the “Partygate” affair: It’s about boozy celebrations during the corona lockdown at the Downing Street government headquarters. The inquest accuses Johnson of serious failure as a leader – but the 57-year-old carries on as if nothing happened, also ignoring that he has become the first sitting prime minister to break the law after being fined for attending a party.
Tories: ‘Caught between mutiny and paralysis’
However, it is by no means certain that Boris Johnson will lose office if there is a vote of no confidence. Because in a vote, 180 Tory MPs would have to speak out against the prime minister – at least half of the current 359 group members. However, around 150 could then lose their offices themselves. The Tories are “caught between mutiny and paralysis,” commented James Forsyth, editor of the conservative magazine Spectator, in the Times newspaper.
No successor to Boris Johnson is currently in sight. Former Tory MP David Gauke commented in the New Statesman magazine that Foreign Secretary Liz Truss might be an option. The 46-year-old, who presents herself as a modern version of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, stands for tax cuts, a conservative course and also seems more determined than all other candidates: inside. But what speaks for Boris Johnson is that he is considered the best campaigner in his party. Many Tories fear that without the populists they will have no chance in the parliamentary elections planned for 2024 and will lose their seat in the House of Commons.
Despite criticism, Boris Johnson still has party support
Dissatisfaction with Johnson comes from representatives of various factions within the party: from MPs who were in favor of Brexit or against leaving the EU, from veteran MPs and those who only moved into the House of Commons in 2019, from conservatives from all regions of the country. Nevertheless, some rebels wanted to call for the letters of no confidence from committee chief Graham Brady to be withdrawn, the Guardian reported. Because Johnson is currently still enjoying a lot of support due to the lack of alternatives. If a vote of no confidence fails, a new vote may only be held in one year.
Therefore, some critics wanted to wait until June 23, wrote the Guardian. Then there are by-elections in two constituencies – the Conservatives are expected to lose both. In this case, Johnson opponents hope, the prime minister would lose so much support that a vote of no confidence should actually be successful. (jso with dpa)
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