Boris Johnson has won the vote of no confidence in his leadership BUT 148 Tory MPs – 41.2% of his parliamentary party – vote against him.
The Majority is smaller than that when Theresa May faced a similar vote in 2018 and who was forced to stand down just six months later
The figures suggest that 120 of Johnson’s vote have ministerial roles so only 91 non ministers voted for him.
Thus his majority amongst his MPs is lower than his party’s majority in Parliament
“A decisive win that renews the PM’s mandate and allows the government to focus relentlessly on the issues that concern our voters and deliver on their priorities.” said a Downing Street spokesperson following the result
Earlier today Altrincham and Sale MP Sir Graham Brady announced that the threshold of letters sent to him asking for a vote of confidence in Boris Johnson has been passed triggering tonight’s poll
Brady said in comments to the press that he had notified Johnson on Sunday that the threshold of no-confidence letters had been reached, adding that “we agreed that a vote should happen as soon as it could reasonably take place.”
Brady indicated that some of his colleagues had wanted to wait until the end of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee to send in their letters.
Former minister Jesse Norman was the latest to reveal he has submitted a letter.
In the letter he accuses Boris Johnson of presiding over a culture of “casual law-breaking” at No 10 and says his claim to be vindicated over Partygate was “grotesque”.
A No 10 spokesman said:
“Tonight is a chance to end months of speculation and allow the government to draw a line and move on, delivering on the people’s priorities. 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.”
The Conservative MP for Heywood and Middleton called the vote absolutely crackers
“Absolutely crackers. This is a handful of malcontents who haven’t provided and coherent alternative plan for the country (unless you count Tobias Ellwood’s call to ignore the referendum result) – it’s an exercise is ego fluffing and it’ll only help Labour.” tweeted Chris Clarkson
John Penrose has announced that he is resigning as the PM’s anti-corruption champion due to a “fundamental breach of the ministerial code”
In his resignation letter he said
“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.”
Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said he will be voting against the Prime Minister tweeting
“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”
