Boris Johnson, the British PM, could face a leadership challenge this week
Key Takeaways:
- The Conservative Party, which is led by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, expects a challenge to his administration this week and has planned a vote for Wednesday.
- At least 54 Conservative members of parliament must submit a formal request for a confidence vote to the Conservative Party's 1922 Committee chairman.
- Johnson has claimed that he will not quit because the government is facing too many challenges and that leaving would be irresponsible.
According to the Sunday Times, officials in British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's ruling Conservative Party predict a challenge to his administration this week and also have scheduled a vote for Wednesday.
An increasing number of Conservative lawmakers have expressed their dissatisfaction with Johnson's government due to the "party game" affair, with some claiming to have sent letters to the Prime Minister formally requesting a vote of confidence in him.
A formal proposal for a confidence vote must be made to the Conservative Party's 1922 Committee chairman by at least 54 Conservative members of parliament. Only the committee chairman knows how many letters have been filed because the letters are confidential.
So far, more than 25 members have made their letters public, according to the New York Times, and party leaders and dissident lawmakers believed they were on the approach of passing the 54-member threshold, with one claiming it had already been passed.
The publication reported that "officers of the 1922 executive have indeed penciled in Wednesday as the day with the leadership vote."
After sitting legislators were forced to resign - one for accessing pornography in parliament as well as the other after being convicted of sexually abusing a kid - Johnson's Conservatives are defending 2 parliamentary seats in by-elections later this month.
In one of these, a survey for the paper found that the opposition Labour Party was 20 points ahead of the Conservatives.
When asked if Johnson would face a vote of confidence this week, transport minister Grant Shapps told BBC TV, "No, I don't," adding that mid-term polling is common for governments.
Johnson, he said, would gain any vote.
After an official report concluded that he and Downing Street officials disregarded tough laws enacted by his government during the pandemic, holding alcohol-fueled gatherings during lockdowns, Johnson has frequently apologized for his actions.
When he came to a thanksgiving service for Queen Elizabeth on Friday, he was booed by the crowd.
Johnson has stated that he will not resign because the government faces too many obstacles, and it would be irresponsible to leave.