UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a vote of no confidence from his own party, the Conservative Party, on Monday. He needs the votes of 180 of the party’s 359 parliamentarians to remain in office. Otherwise, he will start a weeks-long process to elect the new British head of government.
For the vote to be open, at least 54 coreligionists —15% of the conservative caucus — had to send letters requesting the process. The last one needed to complete the list arrived Sunday night, when Boris was notified, said Graham Brady, who chairs the so-called 1922 Committee, representing the Conservatives in Parliament.
At least 40 lawmakers have publicly called for Boris to step down in recent weeks, but the latest applicants, Brady explained, sent their letters only in the last few days because they insisted the vote be held only after Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. 2nd, organized from Thursday (2) to Sunday.
The vote will take place from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm (2:00 pm to 4:00 pm in BrasÃlia), making Elizabeth’s requests crumble, who, in the closing speech of the celebrations, asked that the feeling of unity prevail in the country.
Votes will be counted immediately, said lawmaker Graham Brady. In the scenario where Boris wins, he will remain in office but could be exposed again to a vote of confidence 12 months from now.
Boris came into the crosshairs of his co-religionists after participating in a series of parties in Downing Street, the seat of the UK government, at times when England was undergoing restrictions to contain the Covid pandemic. The episodes became known as “partygate” and were investigated by the London police and the government itself. Boris and his wife were even fined.
It didn’t help the country’s economic situation either. The UK faces a cost-of-living crisis driven by rising inflation, which in April reached its highest level in more than 40 years.
The prime minister’s office, through a spokesperson, said it saw the vote as an opportunity for Boris to present his arguments to lawmakers and a chance to “end months of speculation”.
Boris’s predecessor in office, fellow conservative Theresa May, was brought to a vote of confidence in December 2018, in a twist that revolved around Britain’s separation from the European Union (EU), Brexit. She won the vote by 200 votes to 117.
Wear, however, was inevitable, and the prime minister saw her base of support collapse. A few months later, in May of the following year, May resigned.
