Update: He survived.
211-148: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson survives confidence vote that could have ousted him from power. pic.twitter.com/iAcYKtD4FP
— The Recount (@therecount) June 6, 2022
Original Post:
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a vote of no-confidence on Monday that could see him ousted from his position if he loses support from enough Conservative lawmakers.
While Johnson has faced several scandals, the vote comes after he and his staff reportedly partied it up during the height of Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021 when restrictions were imposed on the rest of Britain.
"The threshold of 15% of the parliamentary party seeking a vote of confidence in the Prime Minister has been passed."
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) June 6, 2022
Chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs, Sir Graham Brady, announces that there will be a vote on the future of Boris Johnson today. pic.twitter.com/Er7Q96BW2Y
Johnson’s supporters think he will win the backing of more than 180 lawmakers and defeat the challenge. But he could still emerge severely weakened. The last prime minister to survive a no-confidence vote was Theresa May in 2018. She never regained her authority and resigned within months, sparking a leadership contest that was won by Johnson.
His selection in July 2019 capped a rollercoaster journey to the top. He had held major offices, including London mayor and U.K. foreign secretary, but also spent periods on the political sidelines after self-inflicted gaffes. He kept bouncing back, showing an uncommon ability to shrug off scandal and connect with voters that, for many Conservatives, overshadowed doubts about his ethics or judgment.
But qualms have been growing, and came to a head after an investigator’s report late last month that slammed a culture of rule-breaking inside the prime minister’s Downing Street office in a scandal known as “partygate.”
Civil service investigator Sue Gray described alcohol-fueled bashes held by Downing Street staff members at a time when pandemic restrictions prevented U.K. residents from socializing or even visiting dying relatives.
Gray said the “senior leadership team” must bear responsibility for “failures of leadership and judgment.” (AP)
The vote is being described as a "watershed moment" for the prime minister. If he loses, a new leader will be chosen by his party.
Johnson has reportedly welcomed the vote.
No10 statement 2/2:
— Sebastian Payne (@SebastianEPayne) June 6, 2022
“The PM welcomes the opportunity to make his case to MPs and will remind them that when they’re united and focused on the issues that matter to voters there is no more formidable political force.”
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